A New Life
by Thrythlind
Summary: Nabiki wanders into an antique shop and buys a gift to make up for her part in destroying what may have been Ranma's only chance at a cure.
1. A New Life

Nabiki didn't know for certain what had brought her into the dank looking shop. This sort of place was usually the meat and drink of Gosunkugi or the Kunos. It was a bleak looking, shadowed, dirty little antique store. She crinkled her nose in distaste and turned to leave. She allotted herself only a small allowance of what she made, and that went to her mangas.  
She would have continued walking if she hadn't recognized the word Jusenkyo on one display. Nabiki paused and continued the wedding she had just recently helped to trash.  
Certain sisters and might-as-well-be-brothers-marriage-or-not had been more than a little upset at that. It wasn't like she had intended for the last barrel of Jusenkyo water on the planet to be drunk by a passing old pervert. She just hadn't wanted to see them pushed to early into a marriage that would have been doomed to fail.  
She glanced over the items to see if there was anything that could possible be used to make up for that last, inexcusable, lapse of planning on her part. She might find Ranma's girl form to be entertaining and profitable, but she had never intended to destroy his hopes for a cure. In reality, she hadn't, but she couldn't seem to shake the image that she had called everybody to the wedding.  
"Waterproof soap," she said under her breath. "Nope, Instant Nannichuan, nada, Map to the Japanese Nannichuan, nix, map to the Kaisufuu, nil, map to the Chuisiton, bad idea...."  
"Perhaps the lady is seeking a cure for a Jusenkyo curse?" an skinny old man near to her said. She blinked and glanced toward the man, wondering when he had gotten there.  
"Perhaps," Nabiki said. "What do you have to offer besides the normal bilk stuff?"  
"Well," he said. "I see you have some experience with Jusenkyo brand products."  
"Some," she said.  
"I think I might have something that would interest you," he said, gesturing for her to follow him.   
Nabiki frowned and kept the door in sight as she followed the old man back to the counter and he pulled out a dusty box. Opening this box revealed a crystal vial full of a bright liquid that seemed to shift colors.  
"This won't take care of all the problem," the man said. "But the books say it will stop the changes of a woman. You'd still attract water, however."  
"It'll only work on a woman?" Nabiki said.  
"This isn't your normal form?" he asked, looking up and down her body and taking in the very feminine clothes.  
"I'm talking about my sister's fiancee," she said. "He turns into a rather cute red-headed girl."  
"Ahh," he said. "Well, the book isn't clear exactly on how this works. It mentions about one, maybe two days of pain after which the foreign life-force is gone from the body."  
"And if a man were to take this draft?" Nabiki asked, she frowned at the mention of pain.  
"The book either does not say," the man said. "Or else that information was destroyed. This elixir was not originally meant to cure Jusenkyo, that was found on accident."  
"What is it meant to do?" Nabiki asked. The old man shrugged.  
"If the book ever said, the words were destroyed," the man said.  
"Can I see this book?" Nabiki asked. The man presented a very old piece of parchment between to flat pieces of wood.  
"Here it is," he said. Nabiki's eye twitched.  
"That is a sheet of paper," she said. "Not a book."  
"It is all that remains of the lore to go with this elixir," he said.  
"And how much is this going to cost me?" she asked. She winced as the man named his price, but produced the money anyway, sighing at the last chance for those manga coming out this weekend.  
Neither she, nor the old man recognized the "decorative" marks on the old box as a written language. Even if they could, they would never have been able to read the words "elixir of life."  
  
*****  
  
"Well," Nabiki said. "Let's see what this does." She sighed nervously as she looked into the vial.   
The man had said their were two doses in it. She'd rather not test this on herself, but there was no way she'd let Shampoo hear about it. In less than no time the Amazon would have taken it and used it herself.  
She took a small gulp and waited for several minutes for something to happen. Nothing, that she could see did. She had no way of knowing that the potion had proceeded to its secondary task having lacked the tools necessary to accomplish its primary task.  
  
*****  
  
"What's this?" Ranma asked, staring at the crystal vial Nabiki had handed him. He didn't notice the little blue marks under her eyes and on her forehead, just barely becoming visible.  
"This is my apology for the nannichuan," Nabiki said. Ranma's eyebrows crinkled in confusion before he realized what she was hinting at. Nabiki's hand over the bottle stopped him from drinking it immediately. "Before you do anything, listen to everything I say."  
"Okay," Ranma said carefully.  
"First," Nabiki said. "I don't know that this will work. The guy I bought from says it only works with women, so for all I know it could lock in girl form. Second, the cure apparently comes after a couple of days of pain, I don't know how bad. And finally, you'll still attract water. Understand the choice now?"  
Ranma glanced at the bottle cautiously, taking into account all that Nabiki had said. He looked up, a determined look on his face.  
"Think about it carefully, Saotome," Nabiki said. "If you have any doubts we can always just give the thing to Shampoo."  
"It's worth a risk," Ranma said seriously.  
"Is it?" Nabiki asked. "I know you don't really mind your girl side anymore."  
"Yeah," Ranma said. "But I think Akane does." He unstoppered the vial and looked at it cautiously.  
"You should probably talk to her about this first," Nabiki suggested. At this moment Ranma's head got shoved forward by a newcomer.  
"RANMA!!!" Mousse shouted. "How dare you insult my darling Shampoo with this 'bill for damages!' DIE!!!"  
Nabiki normally would have said "That was my letter actually," but at the moment she was staring at Ranma pulling up his head and swallowing nervously, after reflexively uppercutting Mousse through the roof.  
"So much for choices," Ranma said nervously. "Anything happening?"  
"Not yet," Nabiki said, watching Ranma nervously. For once her face clearly displayed shock.  
"What is all that noise in hear!?" Akane demanded, coming into the room to find Nabiki and Ranma looking somewhat shell-shocked. "What's Nabiki doing in your room Ranma?!!"  
The elixir meanwhile had set into motion all the changes to accomplish it's secondary task and had been on the verge of extinguishing when it encountered a way to accomplish it's primary task in the form of a bulge of chi that represented a life force imprint that did not belong to the drinker.  
The magical liquid had no real intelligence, it was more or less a computer it did what it was programmed to do. It still couldn't accomplish it's task at the moment, but there was a twist in the drinker's ki that allowed it to proceed with its task, samples of two life forces and the appropriate tools. All it had to do was change the spell already there.  
Ranma felt the change pass over him, starting, paradoxically, from inside for once. Akane's anger vanished in the face of Ranma spontaneously becoming a girl.  
"AHHHHH!!!" Ranma gasped. "It...it...it changed me!!"  
"What Ranma, what happened to you?" Akane asked, worried now.  
"At least you're not feeling any pain," Nabiki said apologetically.   
Akane shot her guilty looking sister a questioning look. Ranma stood up looking down at herself as if it was the first time she had seen her female body. Though, perhaps, it was rather that she was thinking that she'd never see her male body again.  
"Akane, Nabiki," Ranma said nervously, hands moving to her stomach. "I'm feeling funny."  
As Ranma's stomach started to visibly grow, Nabiki's rather surprised mind suddenly worked out whatexactly those couple of days of pain were. Akane and Ranma's eyes merely goggled in shock.  
"Akane!" Nabiki gasped. She stood up and walked to the redhead "Get Kasumi!!" Akane nodded fervantly and rushed for the phone. "Ranma come on, before it starts let's get downstairs."  
"What's happening, Nabiki," Ranma practically growled. "And I don't need help walking!" Nabiki nodded silently as she continued to walk along with the red-head.  
"Nabiki, what is, oh my," Kasumi gasped as she saw Nabiki coming down the stairs with Ranma. "What happened?"  
"A mistake with a potion," Nabiki said. "Kasumi, call the hospital because these are going to be the quickest three trimesters ever recorded."  
"Right, of course," Kasumi said.  
"Tri-mesters?!!" Akane roared from where she was coming up behind Kasumi. "What the hell did you do Ranma?!"  
"It's not my fault!" Ranma protested.  
"How can it not be your fault that you're pregnant!" Akane demanded, hefting her mallet. Nabiki quickly moved between Ranma and Akane.  
"This isn't the time for that Akane!" Nabiki snapped.  
"Pr..." the shock distracted Ranma from his stomach, which had stopped expanding now. "NABI...oww!"   
  
*****  
  
Across town in an old temple three other sisters felt...something. And then the sensation passed and they brushed it aside after a moment.  
  
*****  
  
"Where do you think you're going!?" Ranma snapped angrilly as Nabiki attempted to leave the operating room.  
"Gah!" Nabiki gasped in surprise. "It isn't like you need me here!"  
"It was your frigging potion that got me in this mess!!" Ranma growled, refusing to let go of Nabiki's arm.  
"This is the father's job!" Nabiki said, nervous about what would happen to her arm if she stayed through the labor.  
"Yeah," Ranma growled wearily. "But I'll settle for you."  
"This job gets weirder every day," one of the staff said.  
"What's with the little blue smudges on their faces?" another asked.  
  
*****  
  
"It isn't fair," Akane said. "I'm the one that should be in their with him, not her."  
"Yes, Akane," Kasumi said. "But perhaps you should have thought about that before accusing him of sleeping with Ryouga."  
"It was a panic-reaction!" Akane protested. "I know there's something weird about this...he wasn't pregnant this morning."  
"Oh the tragedy!" Genma wailed. "My son giving birth!"  
"Oh," Nodoka sighed. "My son is so manly that he has even impregnated himself."  
Soun was merely wailing incoherently.  
They all ignored the people staring at them (mostly Nodoka) strangely.  
  
*****  
  
Ranma lay back in bed exhausted and depressed. For the moment she was alone, the doctors deciding that she needed her rest. Nabiki was receiving treatment of her own. Apparently she had crushed Nabiki's arm.  
Ranma grimaced at that thought, she hadn't wanted to really hurt Nabiki. After all, she had been planning on drinking it after all. She had just planned to let loose a little of the pain on the other girl.  
Ranma was tired enough that she didn't even argue with the nurses that insisted on calling her a girl. They had her hooked up to an IV, apparently she was severelly depleted of both water and nutrients. She had been lectured about keeping up a good diet while pregnant. If they knew the pregnancy had lasted about three minutes before labor started, Ranma didn't want to know what they'd do.  
She glanced down at her hands and tried to imagine what they used to look like. To her surprise, her hands grew and shifted along with the rest of her body to become HIS body.  
Ranma blinked and recalled his female form. His body shifted back to it.  
"What the hell?" she asked quietly.   
She shifted back to male form again. She felt, if it was possible, more tired than she already had and only barely heard someone coming into her room. The nurse only saw the very tired teenager finally dropping off to sleep.  
  
*****  
  
"She's so cute," Akane said peering into the baby's face as they sat in the taxi the hospitals had insisted they call for them, the rest of the family was in another car. Then she frowned. "She's Chinese."  
Akane looked up and frowned at Ranma suspiciously. Ranma sighed at the familiar look. It seemed at times like Akane would never trust her.  
"I'm not locked," Ranma said to distract her before sshe could start an argument. Akane looked at her in surprise.  
"What?" Akane asked.  
"I'm not locked," Ranma repeated. "I can just sort of will it now."  
"Then why are you still..."  
"Akane," Nabiki said, recovering her own voice. She spoke low so the cab driver would not hear her. "Look at how many questions we had to answer about this situation as it is. If Ranma suddenly popped up as a guy..."  
"Yeah, yeah," Akane said. "So why is your daughter half-Chinese?"  
"Akane," Ranma sighed wearily.  
"Give the inquisition a rest," Nabiki said. "Hear, Ranma, I'll hold Midori while you get some more sleep okay?"  
"You're arm's broken," Ranma said. "Sides...I'm not that tired," Ranma then fell asleep still cradling the child carefully.  
"So where was Shampoo during this?" Akane asked. Nabiki shrugged.  
"I told you Akane," Nabiki said. "This has nothing to do with Shampoo. But I'll wager a bet that that girl is half-Chinese because whoever drowned in the pool is half-Chinese."  
"What are you doing covering for him?" Akane asked. "And what are these marks on your faces for?"  
"You just don't trust anybody, do you?" Nabiki asked.  
  
((OOC: Note, I'm putting out a lot of stuff for which there is no foreseeable end of late...sorry...)) 


	2. Changes

"Do you want anything Ranma?" Kasumi asked as they walked into the house. Ranma muttered under her breath for a moment, she was still very tired.  
"I'm kinda thirsty," she said finally. "Can you grab me a soda or something?" She sat down holding Midori carefully.  
"I'll be right back," Kasumi said simply nodding.  
"So why did you name her Midori?" Akane asked.  
"Uhhh, I asked Nabiki," Ranma said pointing to the other girl who was sitting down in her normal spot at the table.  
"Dollars, green, Midori," Nabiki said shrugging. "Not to mention emeralds. The shipcheon won bill, etc..." Akane glanced at her questioningly. "I wasn't exactly thinking straight when he asked for an idea. They had me on some sort of pain killer..."  
"I think it's a wonderful name," Nodoka said sighing as she looked into her grandchild's sleeping face.  
"I named my kid after money," Ranma muttered, rolling her eyes. Kasumi came back in with an opened can of one of soda. "Oh thanks, Kasumi."  
"Hey that's mine," Nabiki protested as Ranma gulped it down.  
"Wow," Ranma said brightly. "I feel a lot better, can I have another one of those?"  
"Sure," Kasumi said, "Let me just bring you a few."  
"I save those for waking up in the morning you know," Nabiki said.  
"Huh?" Ranma asked.  
"There's enough caffeine in that stuff to jump start a semi," Nabiki explained.  
"Now, somebody explain to us just how this happened," Genma demanded. "And why are you still a girl, boy?"  
"All right, all right," Ranma said.   
She willed the change and was suddenly a guy again. His parents and Soun stared in shock, Kasumi walked in at this point and merely wondered how Ranma had gotten some hot water.  
"How did you do that boy?" Genma demanded desparately.  
"I think it's parta what that cure of Nabiki's did," Ranma said grimmly. Midori yawned in his arms and shifted.  
"What," Genma turned to Nabiki. "Where did you get this cure?!"  
"Do you really think it would work on you?" Nabiki asked, indicating Ranma. "Really, it wasn't meant to have anything to do with Jusenkyo. From what I can tell it was probably meant as some sort of super fertility drug. Except..."  
"Except what?" Akane asked.   
Kasumi noticed the blue triangles that now adorned Nabiki's and Ranma's faces under their eyes and were mirrored in Midori's face. All three had a third mark in their forehead, but this was unique to each of them.   
In Ranma's case the symbol seemed to be a version of the yin-yang with blurred, indistinct lines, in varying shades of blue. Nabiki had a blue circle that vaguely resembled a ten-yen coin. In Midori's case it was a stretched diamond shape like an arrowhead pointing up from her nose.  
"You drank it as well," Kasumi reasoned. Nabiki nodded.  
"But it didn't really do anything to me," she said. "Except for these things on my face. I think the Jusenkyo curse might be part of why it worked differently on Ranma." She frowned. "Then again, I might find myself in a similar situation the first time I do anything in the sack as it were..."   
Akane leveled a glare at Ranma as her sister talked about the possibilities.  
~What did I do?~ Ranma wondered bitterly.  
"And what do you plan to do about this when all these other girl's learn?" Akane asked.  
"I've got that worked out," Nabiki said. "Midori is Ranma's child by someone he met in China before coming to the Tendo dojo, she died and so now the child is Ranma's responsibility."  
It wasn't even a lie as far as Nabiki was concerned. No need to mention that the child's mother was about one thousand, five hundred years did. The little girl with the shock of dark violet, sort of a mix of Ranma's female hair color and a number of black and other colored hairs spaced so that the illusion of violet hair was produced.  
This child was partially her responsibility, and she would provide for her as well as she could. She sighed, that would mean cutting back her mangas quite a bit. Time to go back to reading fanfic, thank god for free entertainment.  
Her gaze turned to Ranma and Akane and frowned.  
"You bet it's Ranma's responsibility," Akane said.  
~Oh great,~ Nabiki sighed. ~Now she's going to be jealous that Ranma's a mother first too.~   
She loved her sister, and once she grew up a little Akane would be wonderful person. Still, Akane did sometimes worry Nabiki. She kept going for easy routes of strength for one thing, she wanted to be as good as Ranma without working for it simple for the purposes of sheer pride and envy. As long as she and Ranma kept their prides, they weren't going anywhere.  
"Akane," Nodoka lectured. "You should be willing to help my son in this time."  
"Among other things," Nabiki said. "We might need to make sure Midori isn't hurt when this news gets out, if it isn't already." Ranma snapped his head up.  
"Oh shit," he said. "I should go work out a little to see if I can get the kinks outta my system for that, uh Ak..." He stopped when as Akane turned her head away and put her nose in the air. He glanced to Nabiki, who was willing, but still had a broken arm and thus, to Ranma's mind, out.  
"I'll watch her for you Ranma," Kasumi said.  
"Thanks, Kasumi," Ranma said, handing the sleeping baby over. "I'll be in earshot..." He stood up shakily and downed another soda, Nabiki counted five cans now. Then he walked out toward the dojo.  
"I should go do some financial planning," Nabiki said, standing up and heading for her room. "And tomorrow we need to go shopping for necessities. Oh and tell me when Ranma crashes from that caffeine."  
  
*****  
  
Ranma frowned as he practiced his kata, his ki wasn't there. Now that he was somewhat less distracted, he was beginning to notice all sorts of differences.   
His senses were sharper for one thing. The sun was setting, and twilight was draping over the land, but he could see as easily as if it were midday still. He could hear Akane complaining about him in her room upstairs, as if it was his choice to do women things first too. He could smell the wood and sweat in the dojo, faded and almost gone under a barrage of Kasumi's cleaning methods. Methods which did not use, as Ranma was surprised to learn, any sort of smelly substance that did more to hide a mess than get rid of it.  
That wasn't the scary thing though. The scary thing was that his ki was...non-existant. This was an impossibility. No mortal could live without ki. There was Saffron, of course, but he wasn't mortal. The question of how he was alive without his ki did not worry him over much just yet. What did was that he couldn't access his enhanced physical abilities or attacks without ki. He was exceptionally vulnerable.  
Ranma slipped into a chi mending kata and searched inward looking for that spark of life force that he always been able to find easily before. He virtually stumbled on it. A life force, one not of chi, but of something else.  
~Let's see if I can use this stuff,~ Ranma muttered.   
What followed was a long stretch of time of trying to channel his new life forces to achieve the feats he was familiar with.   
He stayed with basic stuff, leaps, acrobatics, speed, strength and stuff. He realized, eventually, that on a basic level it was merely a question of finding new pathways for the energy to travel. He'd have to find ways to reinvent his high level techniques, or make new ones.  
On the plus side, certain techniques would no longer work on him. Like the Hiryu Shoten Ha, Strength-Sapping Moxibustion, Happo-Go-En-Satsu, most pressure points, and everything else that depended on a human ki.  
At all times he kept an ear out for any sign of trouble from Midori, but Kasumi apparently had everything well in hand.  
  
*****  
  
Nabiki frowned as she continued to work, something was off, and she couldn't put her finger on it. Still she continued to go on planning, enjoying the charge she got from handling money. For some reason it seemed to be more pronounced than usual.  
Nabiki was distracted from her work when she heard a baby crying. The sound of Kasumi taking care of the situation came then, and she relaxed. Until Midori started crying about ten minutes later. She stood up and stretched before hurrying out of her room to find Kasumi trying to feed Midori.  
"Oh, Nabiki," Kasumi said relieved. "I can't figure out what's wrong, I fed her the formula, but she still seems to be hungry."   
Nabiki frowned but thought she could guess what the problem was. She would have been curious about just how she so easily figured it out, but at the moment there were other things to consider.  
"I think I know what she needs," Nabiki said. "Just let me get Ranma." Kasumi nodded.  
Nabiki headed for the dojo, knowing somehow that only Genma was in the room she had passed on the way downstairs. Neither she nor Kasumi had yet noticed that her arm was no longer broken.  
"Ranma," Nabiki called out as she entered the dojo.   
She frowned and shook her head as she found Ranma flat on his face, unconscious. She moved forward and kneeled next to him to check for a pulse. She was relieved to find one.  
"He must have exhausted himself practicing," Nabiki muttered. She considered the situation for a moment and then quickly returned to the living room where Kasumi and a crying Midori was.  
"It's four o'clock in the morning," Akane's voice called out wearily. "Can't you get her quiet?"  
"This isn't time for that," Nabiki snapped. Akane grumbled and her door closed upstairs. "Kasumi, do I have any more sodas left? Or anything with caffeine in it?"  
"No I'm afraid Ranma already drank it all," Kasumi said. Nabiki grumbled. "Why?"  
"Ranma's out like a light," Nabiki said. "And I kinda got this feeling maybe some caffeine would wake him up."   
Nabiki frowned, now it would take a trip for the store, and she didn't want to make Midori wait that long. That same instinct that had been giving her answers all night gave her another one that didn't seem quite possible to her logical mind.  
"Damn," Nabiki said finally. "I'll have to do it."  
"Do what?" Kasumi asked. "Nabiki, when did you take your arm out of the sling?"  
"Huh..." Nabiki looked at her arm in curiousity. "That is weird...but later...okay. Here, I'll take Midori for now and can you go to that convienence store downt the street and get all the caffeinated stuff you can, okay?"  
"What will you do?" Kasumi asked again as she handed Midori to Nabiki.  
"Doesn't matter," Nabiki said, fighting down a blush. "I got this handled." Kasumi nodded and headed out into the night for the requested beverages.  
As Kasumi headed into night, Nabiki looked around nervously to see if there was anybody to watch her.   
  
*****  
  
Ranma woke up to the sensation of something slamming down his throat. He sputtered into awareness and blinked around finally catching sight of Nabiki holding a can of soda.  
"Okay, Saotome," Nabiki said. "We've got to set some sort of system here."  
"Huh, what?" Ranma blinked, he noted Nabiki's arm, especially since she was toying with a coin in that hand. "How long have I been out?"  
"About three hours I think," Nabiki said. "I didn't look at the clock when I stopped hearing you down here. Anyway, Ranma, there's a problem about Midori."  
"What?" Ranma gasped, standing up. The girl was HIS daughter even if her arrival had been unexpected, and unasked for.  
"Nothing to worry about right now," Nabiki said. She handed him another soda, he downed it. "I took care of it, and she's fast asleep, okay?" Ranma relaxed and nodded.  
"So what was the problem," Ranma asked insistantly.  
"The problem is, I don't think formula is going to feed your little girl," Nabiki said. "She needs breast milk. And what's more, I think it has to come from one of us." She pointed to the marks on her head.  
"Oh just great," Ranma said, he sat down and sighed. "Well, I'd better just get...wait a minute, how did you know that you could..."  
"I said I took care of it," Nabiki said, blushing.  
"Oh my..."  
"Don't even think about telling anybody about that," Nabiki said. "I barely got my shirt back on when Kasumi got back from the store!"  
"Right, right," Ranma said. "I won't let that happen again, sorry Nabs."  
"Don't make promises you can't keep Ranma," Nabiki said. "You might be unconscious again or gone somewhere it would be a bad place to take a little baby, and I'd have to fill again. What's more, she might get hungry when we're BOTH out of action and then what?"  
Ranma looked frightened at that thought. Nabiki hadn't bothered to mention that biologically she shouldn't have been able to produce milk so easily, having not had the baby herself. It SHOULD have taken a lot to get her body to react that way. However, she found herself quite easily providing what was needed.  
"So, when we go shopping today," Nabiki said. "You and I have to make sure to get a breast pump, okay?"  
"A what?" Ranma asked. Nabiki frowned.  
"It's a little machine that you put here," she cupped her breast. "And pumps out milk for use later. And what we do with that is save it for those aforementioned emergencies when neither of us is capable."  
"Oh," Ranma said, looking a little queasy. "I see."  
"By the way," Nabiki said. "I'm not sure why, but I think you should keep some of these around, too." She held up a can of soda, Ranma took it and drank it, almost reflexively. She continued dryly. "Or anything else with caffeine."  
"Oh, sorry," Ranma said, embarrassed.  
"No problem," Nabiki said smirking. "They seem to do a better job of waking you up than they do me."   
On the other hand, she had been up non-stop this entire time without really feeling tired, it was beginning to make her curious.  
"I don't really wanna get dependent on caffeine," Ranma said. Nabiki shrugged.  
"And Ranma," Nabiki said, glancing over her shoulder. "I have no problem with feeding your daughter again."  
"You sure?" Ranma asked, hesitantly.  
"It just felt...right," Nabiki said softly, shrugging. Her hard face came back. "Don't ever tell anybody what I'm doing though, got it?"  
"Got it, got it!" Ranma said.  
Ranma, still somewhat tired, failed to notice the sound of somebody slipping away from the dojo in the night.  
  
*****  
  
A picture of Nabiki Tendo appeared in mid air, a slim holograph by all appearances. Next to it was a picture of Ranma Saotome, in both forms, and beside that was a violet haired teen that appeared to be half-chinese and half-japanese.  
  
A readout sat next to each picture.  
  
Name: Nabiki  
Class: Class 3, Category 1, probationary license  
Domain: Provision/Providing  
Secondary Domain: Mischief  
Energy Source: Handling Money  
Transportation: Telephones  
  
Name: Ranma  
Class: Class 3, Category 1, probationary license  
Domain: Change  
Secondary Domain: Motion and Energy  
Energy Source: Caffeine  
Transportation: Water  
  
Name: Midori  
Class: Class 3, Category 1, probationary license  
Domain: Rebirth  
Secondary Domain: Health  
Energy Source: Singing  
Transportation: Music  
  
"Shouldn't we tell tell them, milord?" a tall man asked. "They'll be going through some hard times on their own."  
"If there are any major problems then we can inform the Norns," a voice said.   
It wasn't particularly certain what the nature of the voice was, male or female, human or otherwise, though mostly it seemed to share the traits of the man's voice to whom it was speaking at the moment.  
"They will need time to get accustomed to this," the voice said. "And I will give them that time."  
"The young god's mortal rivals are already learning of the new situation," the tall man said. "By tomorrow it the situation may be too heated for the safety of the child. New blood will not revitalize heaven if it is spilled across midgard."  
"And they will handle it," the voice said. "Really, Lycanus, you'd think you'd be more proud that this little gambit of yours has born fruit."  
"To tell the truth," he said, not even surprised to know that his part in these events was known. "I was thinking that the people who eventually discovered and used that elixir would know more or less what was happening."  
The Gabriel, the archangel of death, frowned and considered his behavior. He was acting like most people did when he showed up, impatient, unreasonable. He supposed that was just the way one acted when faced with something that knew so much more than oneself.  
"All will be well," the voice said. It seemed to be smiling fondly, if a voice could smile, as a parent to a child. 


	3. Riot

"How to deal with this," an ancient figure muttered. "Can't have them hanging around here anymore. Cologne is enough to deal with, three gods, that's beyond what I want to try."  
He tapped his foot, and considered the situation. Ranma still thought of Happosai as a comparatively harmless sort of evil, and he was right. Most of the time.   
Happosai's primary joy in life was in groping woman and stealing their underwear, no more than that. He had set about becoming a martial artist for that goal, since he especially loved the idea of getting the better of powerful women.  
That did not make him evil, however. There were plenty of perverts out there like him and none of them quite reached the status of evil.   
What made Happosai evil wasn't that he enjoyed grabbing a woman's breast or buns or bra. What made Happosai evil was that he enjoyed twisting other people onto his path. The path of self-appeasement and ease. Those he couldn't corrupt, he ruined. It was a matter of jealousy in some ways, he hated seeing people that reached his level of power without making the same sacrifices.  
Soun's emotional stability had been shattered. Hinako Ninomiya had to live with her cursed body and mind. Genma had all but shifted to Happosai's path, but he was lazy and stupid. His evil was all accidental, not intentional like Happosai's.  
He did not really care much one way or the other about any of the more obvious sorts of evil. Which was just as well since they attracted a lot of attention.  
No Happosai's evil was the silent, pernicious kind that grew like cancer. This generation he had not accomplished much, no Shi-Shio, no Naraku.  
But he was capable of a little murder and mayhem if he wanted.  
That was not what worried him though. An evil man could pass under the radar of a deity if they didn't attract attention. Diabolism, however, that was a different matter. Especially if the diabolist in question had courted the powers of hell rather than being tempted into it.  
Happosai had worked hard to become the martial artist he was, and that work was all his own. The techniques, however, the ancient techniques that he had used to build his own deadly style of martial arts out of his Jujutsu knowledge had to be located first. A large number of them had been lost for ages before he found them. The Anything Goes Style, as he practiced, it was a match for the Amazon Wu Shu for one simple reason.  
Happosai had made a deal all those years ago. The locations of where every martial arts technique known might be learned, in exchange for his mortal soul.  
He had hoped to drag Ranma down, for the boy was quickly going to surpass his capability. Not to mention the fact that he barely needed to find ancient techniques, he created new ones as he needed them. And that really frightened the ancient pervert, since the map he had sold his soul for showed no technique that had been created since he had asked for it.  
That would never happen now. Instinct would keep the three of them on the more or less straight and narrow. Bringing a god down to hell was nigh impossible for a demon even. A mere diabolist had no chance.  
So now Happosai was faced with an odd choice. Find a way to make Nabiki and Ranma leave with that little brat, or leave himself. And he wasn't about to concede defeat to that either the punk or miss frigid.  
Especially not since Nerima was the region of Japan most friendly to him. A "harmless" evil like him could hide in this weird place.  
He had to do it soon before they felt the wrongness about his souless body, and before Ranma learned to control his mana any more. If he was lucky he could even get Nabiki and the little brat killed. That might certainly convince Ranma to leave Nerima and never look back.  
So, a word in the right place...  
  
*****  
  
"So why does everyone have to go?" Ranma asked.  
"Think about how much we have to buy, baka," Akane said irritably. "You think you're going to carry her and all that by yourself."  
"Right," Ranma said, looking like he wanted to scratch the back of his head in consternation. "Heh."  
"Besides," Nabiki said. "This is a daughter you're shopping for, and the more women involved the better."  
"Exactly, Nabiki-chan," Nodoka said smiling. Ranma grimaced. He glanced around for a moment nervously.  
"Something wrong, Ranma-kun?" Kasumi asked curiously.  
"I thought I heard something," Ranma muttered.   
It was like whispering from the alley's as they passed. He'd thought he'd heard his name, only it wasn't his name not as his friend's said it anyway. Something out of his dreams or nightmares...  
"I'm sure it was nothing," Akane said. She was acting a little less petulant now, but she still seemed to be taking this accident as a direct afront to her woman-hood.  
  
*****  
  
They didn't quite reach the stores.  
"Oh shit," Ranma gasped suddenly. He'd heard another "name" in those whispers, and this time understood the jist of the message. He turned to Nabiki. "Get out of here!"  
"What?" Nabiki asked as Ranma handed her Midori.  
"Your the only other one that can take care of her," Ranma said. Nabiki frowned, and would have snapped back if it weren't for the serious look on Ranma's face.  
"What seems to be the matter?" Nodoka asked.  
"Hurry!" Ranma said.  
"Just say what..." Akane started.  
"Shampoo's coming!" Ranma said. "And she's not going to give us time for a story!" Nabiki's eyes widened.  
"Damn!" she muttered and turned head back down the road to the dojo.  
Too late.  
Shampoo landed, sword in hand, on the path only a leap away from the group and looked from Ranma's face to Nabiki's and the baby's. Being too far away, she failed to note the Chinese features on the girl.  
"Is TRUE!!!" Shampoo growled. "Airen have baby with greedy girl!!!" Her face darkened to purple with rage as she launched herself forward.  
"Get out of here!" Ranma snapped as he intercepted the Amazon. Nabiki nodded and headed down the road, Nodoka and Kasumi going with her.  
"Airen get out of Shampoo's way!!" Shampoo growled as she slashed with her sword. Ranma could practically see the arc of motion and breezed around the strike, then using Shampoo's own momentum to send the Amazon away from them.  
"She's not Nabiki's daughter!" Akane shouted moving to stand next to Ranma and getting in stance.  
"No!" Ranma snapped moving past Akane to intercept Shampoo again. "Go with them!"  
"Shampoo KILL THEM!!" Shampoo shouted, before being redirected by a few well placed taps and shoved into a tree.  
"But," Akane started.  
"I can't watch them while I'm fighting Shampoo!" Ranma shouted. "Go keep an eye on Nabs and Midori!"  
"Nabs," Akane repeated with narrowed eyes.   
She shook her head, now was not the time for jealousy, even she saw that. Shampoo again tried to get around Ranma and again was sent into a piece of the landscape. Akane chased after her sisters and Nodoka.  
"Ranma, how dare you abuse my Shampoo's trust!!!" Mousse shouted as he entered the scene.   
Ranma could already feel the chains edging for his back, and Shampoo was positioning herself to go past Ranma while Mousse kept him busy.  
Ranma spun around and met the first chain with a touch of hand. With the same efficiency of motion that he had been using to deal with Shampoo, he altered the chains' course.   
He seemed to almost casually touch the chain and lightly push it to intercept the next, and that one to intercept the next and so on. To the naked it eye it almost seemed as as if Ranma had waved his hand and the entire array had curved around toward a new target.  
"SHAMPOO!!?" Mousse shouted as his chains wrapped around to force Shampoo to a skidding stop as they barred the path before her.  
"Stay out of this Mousse!" Ranma shouted as he moved to place himself between Shampoo and the retreating Tendos again.  
"How DARE you!?" Mousse demanded. He landed and leaped again launching a volley of daggers.  
"Shampoo no want to hurt Airen," the female Amazon warned.  
"You want to hurt them, you have to get past me," Ranma snapped, casually spinning back to avoid the daggers.   
He hadn't even technically attacked them yet, merely used their own motion against them. He always did that, but against artists of such caliber as Shampoo and Mousse, what he was doing should have been impossible. It was like his instincts about the way motion could be manipulated had increased a thousandfold.  
Shampoo charged forward with a swipe that was a feint, Ranma could already feel the kick building up. At the same time, Mousse was lashing out with his own kick.   
Ranma walked into the sword slash, away from Mousse's kick, ducking under the blade and pushing tapping the inside of the blade with one finger while pushing up on Shampoo's leg with his other hand.  
With what seemed barely a touch of two fingers, Shampoo was sent in a dizzily twirling path straight into Mousse.  
"Give up," Ranma said seriously as he again arrayed himself in stance between the Amazons and his family. He hadn't even broken a sweat yet.   
  
*****  
  
Nabiki stopped dead as Ukyou stepped into her path.  
"It's not my baby, Ukyou," Nabiki said quickly. The chef looked to the baby with a sour face and then up again.  
"I had to see if it was true," Ukyou said grimmly.  
"It's not my baby," Nabiki repeated, stepping back.  
"Young lady," Nodoka said. "This is most unseemly." She stepped forward, drawing her katana. Nodoka rolled her eyes and easily disarmed the woman with a tossed spatula, slicing open Nodoka's hand lightly.  
"This ruins everything," Ukyou repeated, not moving from her spot. Nabiki started to relax, feeling that Ukyou wasn't about to attack them.  
"Ukyou-san," Kasumi said desparately. "There is a reasonable explanation!" Ukyou looked bleakly to Kasumi, and the Tendo sisters felt a pang of pity at the look.  
Akane caught up with them at this point.  
"GET AWAY FROM MY SISTERS UKYOU!!!" Akane roared  
"Oh for goodness sakes!" Ukyou snapped. "All right!!! You want a fight?! You GOT ONE!!" Ukyou dodged Akane and readied her spatula.  
"Great," Nabiki said as she broke and ran from the fight, carrying a wailing Midori. Kasumi was helping Nodoka and didn't see where her sister had run, but someone else had.  
  
*****  
  
The Amazons both hobbled to their feet looking determined to continue. Shampoo's eyes flicked past Ranma to where the Tendos had vanished in the distance. Mousse was upset that Ranma hadn't been addressing him in that imperative. The pig-tailed martial artist had only one person in his focus.  
"Ah ha!" a new voice said. "So tis true that the vile sorcerer has been trifling with the affections of the Chinese Princess." Kuno shouted. Almost instantly launched into his thousand strikes.  
Kuno lacked Shampoo and Mousse's near absolute control of their momentum.   
This time Ranma did merely raise his hand to catch and deflect the first blast of air pressure. Shampoo and Mousse watched in shock as Kuno suddenly rocketed the way he had come from and slammed into a brick wall unconscious.  
"Give up," Ranma said again. Shampoo seriously considered it.  
  
*****  
  
Nabiki took paused and took a seat on a bench to catch her breath and quiet down a crying Midori. A shiver went down her spine as she suddenly felt that she wasn't alone.  
"So this is the abomination I was told of," a tight voice declared.   
Nabiki, terrified and very alone aside from Midori, turned to see Kodachi standing a little ways down the path. Her ribbon was in hand, and Nabiki was well within reach.  
~I'm sorry, Ranma,~ Nabiki thought.  
  
*****  
  
"Hmmm," Happosai said. "It is a very good thing I didn't try to take him on myself. He hasn't even used any mana beyond enhanced physical capabilities yet, and that hardly at all."   
Then he noticed another newcomer, one he hadn't expected, and smiled. This would be a decent test of what Ranma's abilities truly were.  
  
*****  
  
"RANMA!!! PREPARE TO DIE!!" Ryouga shouted. Ranma turned to see the other boy and expected him to be as enraged as Mousse or Shampoo.   
Instead he saw the small smirk on Ryouga's face that signified that he had no specific grudge against Ranma at the moment and merely wanted to get in on the fun.  
Shampoo welcomed the Lost Boy's unfortunate appearance with an evil smile as she made use of Ranma's distraction. She broke for the path the Tendos had taken.  
Ranma felt the shift and moved to block her again, but found Mousse in his way. And Ryouga was still following behind him.   
Ranma didn't have time to stop both the male martial artists and still get in front of Shampoo, but if he ignored them, the hits would slow him down to much as well.  
Frustrated and desparate beyond anything before Jusendo. Ranma lost his temper.  
"ENOUGH!!!!!" Ranma shouted angrily.   
Suddenly a blast of golden energy radiated out from in a brilliant flash. When it cleared only seconds later, all three of his opponents were in their cursed forms. Ryouga's umbrella was embedded in a wall near Kuno's head.  
Shampoo, Ryouga and Mousse glanced around in confusion. Shampoo was too shocked to notice that Ranma was approaching her without fear, until he picked her up by the scruff of the neck.  
She hissed and yowled angrily, and Ranma recognized the sounds coming from her mouth as the whispers he had heard earlier. The ones that had warned him of Shampoo's coming. He filed that away for later, along with the fact that he wasn't terrified of Shampoo's cursed form.  
"You went too far this time Shampoo!" Ranma growled, his marks still flared brilliantly. All three of the Jusenkyo-animals vainly fought the desire to abase themselves. "You shouldn't have tried to kill my daughter!"   
That same golden light moved from his hand into Shampoo's body. Ranma almost lost his grip in surprise, but maintained it.  
"Never," he said. "NEVER try that again!! This is your only warning!"   
He dropped the shivering cat on the ground and turned to Ryouga as Shampoo ran for the Nekohanten. Both the pig and duck were on the ground and staring at him in shock. As the light of his marks faded they began to glare at him.  
"Mousse," Ranma said seriously. "I ain't interested in Shampoo. I'll never marry her, and I'd rather never see her until she changes. So get it through your head that I'M not your obstacle. She is. Oh, and sorry Ryouga, bad timing you know?"  
Ranma reached down into Mousse's robes and pulled out a thermos which he poured on Ryouga. Before the Lost Boy could do more than growl at him and get grab his clothes Ranma was heading away.  
"We'll fight later!" Ranma said. "I gotta make sure Nabiki and Midori are alright."  
  
*****  
  
"Well," Happosai said sourly as he finished cowering. He had felt the divine aura even as far away as he was. "It's apparent that most of the Jusenkyo cursed types have no chance against Ranma anymore."  
He didn't like not knowing the limits of his old pupil, even if he hoped to drive him away forever.  
  
*****  
  
Ranma found Akane and Ukyou wearily glaring at each other. They were circling and getting ready for another round of battle, though neither looked in a condition to continue fighting.  
"Ranma-kun!" Kasumi called out. "You have to stop them before somebody seriously hurt."  
"She was attacking Nabiki," Akane said, she was bleeding from several small cuts and looked fairly battered as well. Both fighters were covered in flour.  
"I was not!" Ukyou snapped. "I came to see if what I'd heard was true, that's all!" Ukyou was holding her spatula one handed.  
"You attacked Saotome-san!" Akane countered.  
"Actually," Nodoka said. "She disarmed me when I threatened her."  
"See!" Ukyou snapped. "She attacked me, just like you!"  
"Where's Nabiki and my daughter?" Ranma demanded finally. Everybody froze and looked very nervous suddenly.  
"She ran off when the fight started," Ukyou said. "I didn't notice which way."  
"I was looking the wrong way," Akane said.  
"Oh my," Kasumi said. Ranma paled and looked around in desparation for a moment.  
He almost missed Nabiki's and Midori's scents, not used to these new senses. Fortunately he caught and recognized them and took off running.  
  
*****  
  
"This is the abomination that would take my Ranma-sama away from me," Kodachi said coolly fingering her ribbon. She stepped forward gracefully, like a serpent.  
~Okay, how do I get her to go away,~ Nabiki asked herself.   
The usual way that Nabiki got what she wanted was to give someone something else that they desired. She had always been exceptionally good at figuring out what someone needed, and offering it. But she couldn't give Kodachi Ranma. Or was that what she really wanted.  
"You don't really think Ranma will love you if you hurt his baby, do you?" Nabiki asked nervously.  
"Ranma can't possibly want this noisome little burden," Kodachi said. "And I believe you've been a trouble yourself from time to time."  
"Why do you even like Ranma?" Nabiki asked, carefully not moving except to cradle the crying Midori tighter. Kodachi smirked at the question and shook her head.  
"That is a ridiculous question," Kodachi said.  
"I don't think so," Nabiki said, trying to keep her voice from cracking. "He's poor, ill-cultured, and by your standards low-born. So what's the attraction."   
Kodachi laughed again and shook her head, though she seemed to look a little disturbed.  
"How many other men with whom could a share the thrill of flying through the air?" she asked.  
"There are several throughout Nerima," Nabiki countered.  
"But none better than Ranma," Kodachi countered. "And its only the best for the Kunos."  
"What's the real reason," Nabiki asked, gaining confidence as Kodachi kept talking.   
Nabiki didn't see Midori's markings flaring lightly, nor did she notice her own glowing just slightly. Not enough for Kodachi to notice from her position.  
"If it is your dying wish," Kodachi said, she sounded uncertain though. "Fine. He was kind to me." Nabiki heard all the varied layers of meaning to that simple statement.  
"That's all you want?" Nabiki asked, somehow knowing the answer. She stood up. "Isn't it?"  
Midori's cries came to a small end.  
Kodachi no longer seemed so intimidating, in fact she seemed very sad and pitiful. The gymnast's shoulders didn't seem so firm as before, they were almost slumping.  
"D..don't try anything," Kodachi stammered, wondering just when she had lost the initiative.  
"You don't really want to hurt anybody," Nabiki said, stepping forward. Kodachi took a step back branishing her ribbon. "You don't think Ranma can be kind to more than one person?"  
"Stay b..back," Kodachi gasped as Nabiki's markings flared brighter now. Nabiki tried to ignore the fact that she was taking Midori and herself closer to Kodachi.   
She had unnerved the gymnast somehow, and if she wanted to get out of this she had to maintain her confidence. And she found herself truly wanting to help the girl somehow.  
"And you don't think anybody else would truly be kind to you," Nabiki said coming closer. Kodachi stumbled back, somehow terrified and ashamed. She dropped her ribbon but managed to keep her feet.  
"Pl..please don't hurt me," Kodachi whimpered as Nabiki closed the distance. Nabiki shifted Midori to one hand and reached out to circle an arm around Kodachi's shoulders.  
"Ssh," Nabiki said.   
This felt unusual, this comforting. Especially considering that Kodachi had been intent on killing her. And for some reason Kodachi was still looking at her as if ashamed.  
"I'm sorry," she said softly. Nabiki reached her arm up to Kodachi's head and softly pulled it down to her shoulder. She stroked the other girl's hair soothingly, the way Kasumi had to her.  
"It's okay," Nabiki said. "I'm not going to hurt you." Suddenly Kodachi's arms were around Nabiki and the girl was crying loudly into her shoulder. Nabiki's and Midori's marks ceased glowing, and the gymnast continued weeping.  
Midori turned in Nabiki's arms and looked at the strange person that had seemed scary before but now wasn't. She made a questioning noise and reached out a tiny hand to pat Kodachi's head in a manner similar to what Nabiki was doing.  
"Nabiki!" Ranma's voice called out. "Is Midori okay? Are you hurt?" Nabiki nodded and continued soothing the sobbing Kodachi. Midori was cooing something that almost sounded like melody.  
"We're fine," Nabiki said. She sighed as she came to an uncomfortable conclusion. Ranma walked over and took Midori from Kodachi, and Nabiki nodded her thanks as she used her other arm to hold Kodachi while she cried.  
They waited patiently and quietly for Kodachi to calm down before anything else happened. Nabiki stepped back from the now subdued Kuno and held her eyes.  
"Now I want you to go to my sister Kasumi and talk to her, okay?" she said. "Tell her anything that bothers you, okay? And don't get into a fight with my little sister, okay?" Kodachi nodded with each "okay."  
"Thank you, Nabiki-sama," Kodachi said silently, wiping her eyes. She turned to Ranma and muttered the same before leaving.  
"What happened to Kodachi?" Ranma asked.  
"She got what she was needing," Nabiki said. "I think. What happened to Shampoo?"  
"I think I scared her away for now," Ranma said. "We can't stay here, can we?"  
"No," Nabiki said. "We can't. Ukyou wasn't going to attack I think, but there's still Shampoo. And if Tarou or someone on like Herb shows up...I don't know how we're going to handle it. And if Happosai or Cologne had gotten involved..." She shrugged and looked around seeming haggard.  
"Yeah," Ranma said soberly, looking at his daughter. "I have to leave Nerima with Midori."  
"We, Ranma," Nabiki said. "We.  
"You don't have to..."  
"This is my responsibility, too," Nabiki insisted, then she smirked. "Besides, you'll need my help."  
"Yeah, well, we should say goodbye to people," Ranma said. Nabiki nodded.  
"But make it short," Nabiki said. She didn't feel safe saying that she thought they should come back eventually. She'd tell him that later.  
  
*****  
  
"Excellent," Happosai smirked rubbing his hands. "Just according to plan."  
  
Next: Meeting the Goddesses  
  
Oh yeah, I'd like to name Brian Drozd's "Deification"  
and Tarqhan's "A Divine Daughter" as inspirations for  
this fic... 


	4. Awareness

Nabiki counted out the money and frowned.  
  
"After living expenses, we're about ten-thousand short," she said. "Again."  
  
"Damn it," Ranma said. "An' Midori's gonna need some new clothes again."  
  
Midori was watching TV across the room, occasionally glancing back at the whispering adults. She had been growing fast, not nearly as fast as Ranma's quick pregnancy, but still fast. She looked more like she was three years old than anything else.  
  
"We aren't getting anywhere staying in motels like this," Nabiki said.  
  
It was a rather standard catch twenty-two situation. They couldn't use their family names for fear they'd be tracked down. So, despite the fact that they hadn't renounced their families, they were considered ronin virtually everywhere. That made it difficult to earn money, especially for two teenagers with a young child.  
  
They had eventually decided to start a new family name, at least until they felt they could safely return home. They even had a name picked out, a nice, simple common hard to distinguish name like "Tanaka". Doing this was possible, but...it took money. And getting money, again, was hard.  
  
They had cut out a number of expenses. Somehow, they discovered that they didn't have to eat, and so "food" was limited to Ranma's sodas and food for Midori, because they weren't risking her health.   
  
Nabiki, having discovered that money had the same effect on her that caffeine had on Ranma, originally kept a few yen notes and coins around for anytime she felt peckish. Unfortunately, she soon discovered that if she didn't use the money it didn't do anything for her. No, she was revitalized by the action of spending, receiving and otherwise handling money. Saving was okay, but outright hoarding seemed to invalidate the effect.  
  
"We need to find new living quarters," Nabiki said, glancing around the motel room that was eating their so much of their funds.  
  
"Worse comes to worse," Ranma said. "We can always ask for help."  
  
"Last resort, Ranma," she said.   
  
Midori watched from her bed as her mommy and daddy talked quietly among themselves. She understood, basically, that they were trying not to worry her. She still felt the tension though.  
  
"Play in sand," Midori cried out, almost singing the words. "Mommy play in sand?"  
  
"Maybe a walk would help clear things up," Nabiki agreed.  
  
*****  
  
"I'm sorry, Megumi," a girl said apologetically. "We just can't afford that rent."  
  
"Not even split three ways," her friend agreed.   
  
"Listen guys," Megumi said, almost hysterically. "It's the ONLY place I can find. I can handle half the rent on my own! I can even handle the first two months on my own. That's plenty of time for you both to figure something out."  
  
"Sorry," her friend said shrugging. "I'm not going to take the risk, I got a place already, I don't want to lose that and end up not being able to make it."  
  
"Besides," the second girl said. "You can always just move in with your brother."  
  
"He doesn't have that much space anymore," Megumi said sorrowly.  
  
"Sorry," her friend said again.  
  
"Excuse me," a new voice said. Megumi turned around to see a brown-haired teenager sitting on a bench watching the playground's sandbox.  
  
"Yeah?" Megumi asked wearily, she was too frustrated to notice the blue tattoos on the girl's face.  
  
"I couldn't help but overhear your predicament," Nabiki said. "I think we can help each other."  
  
"Really?" Megumi said doubtfully, the girl couldn't be older than eighteen.  
  
The girl nodded and looked toward the playground where some men were joking around with another teenager on the basketball court. Megumi shook her head irritably at that, some big bad jocks they were, making sport of a kid like that.  
  
"Ranma!" she called out. One of the children from the sandbox stood up and walked over to her. Megumi glanced at her, still missing the marks, but noting the girl's dark violet hair.  
  
"Huh?" the teenager said, turning to Nabiki. As he did one of the college jocks stole the ball from him with a laughing smirk.  
  
"What happening, Mommy?" the girl asked. Megumi's eyes widened. The girl turned to her daughter for a moment before answering Ranma.  
  
"Don't worry, Midori, everything is fine," she said soothingly. Then she turned back to Ranma. "Cut it early, okay? I think I found something."  
  
"Oh! Got it," Ranma called back. Megumi was about to ask what Nabiki what she meant by cut it early when the teenager flew into action.  
Ranma leaped from mid court, with no run, and caught the ball in mid arc from the jump lay-up the college jock had set it into. Then he brought it through the hoop as he landed.  
  
The college jocks, and virtually everybody else stared in shock as Ranma walked to the free throw line holding the ball.  
  
"Change," he said. Then he threw the ball and it swished through the net and bounced off the pole back to Ranma, who didn't have to move to recover it. "Change. Change. Change. Change. Change. Change. Change. Change." This went on for minute or two.  
  
"You, you, you lied to us!" one of the jocks shouted as Ranma sunk the last goal in to reach the set score.  
  
"Uhh, I just tricked you is all," Ranma said.   
  
Really, he couldn't lie, it never worked. People always knew somehow when he tried to. He hadn't figured it out yet. Nabiki had mentioned something about a poker face, but Ranma didn't know what his bad poker face had to do with lying.  
  
"Same thing," the jock snapped. Megumi shook her head clear as she and her friends vaguely followed Nabiki to the altercation.  
  
"All I said was that I hadn't played basketball before," Ranma protested. Nabiki smirked a little, her coaching was really paying off of late. "I never said I wasn't an athlete or nothin'."  
  
"I'm not paying a ronin street hustler," the jock snapped back. Ranma crossed his arms and frowned. He glanced back to Nabiki and Midori and then glared meaningfully at the jock.  
  
"Hey, Kenji," Megumi said walking up. "Do you want it to get out that all four of you lost to a 'ronin street hustler?'" The looks on their faces clearly said no.  
  
"Here's your money, kid," Kenji said finely giving the Ranma a small roll of cash. Then he walked away, looking sore.  
  
"Thanks," Ranma said. "Now, uh, what're we doing?"  
  
"Are you really going to talk to them, Megumi?" one of her friends asked quietly.  
  
"Well I have to get that place somehow," Megumi said.  
  
*****  
  
In Nerima, meanwhile, Akane was silently fuming as she went through a day in her senior year. Nabiki and Ranma had run off together with that brat and barely a goodbye. Nabiki had given her some lecture about growing up, not being ready, and trust, but Akane hadn't really paid attention. All she knew was that her sister and fiancee had betrayed her.  
  
When she discovered "P-Chan", she was doubly incensed. She was mad enough that she actually seduced Ryouga in the illogical assumption that it would get back Ranma and make him jealous. Certainly he and Nabiki were having such fun together. Though she wouldn't admit that outloud.  
  
Which brought her to her current predicament. The one that was going to slow down her college plans. And she'd be damnded if she accepted KODACHI'S help with this.  
  
Ryouga had not worn protection.  
  
"When I see that pig," she muttered to herself at lunch. She was sitting alone today, she liked to be alone when her temper was at its worse, she didn't want to hurt anybody.  
  
She sighed and shook her head, some of the anger releasing. SHE had made the effort to seduce Ryouga, not the other way around. And then she had TOLD him what she had done. Spat in his face, stomped on his heart and laughed at him. She had no right to accuse him of anything, and that was the source of her frustration.  
  
To make matters worse, he was spending a lot more time with Akari lately. And the last time she had seen him, he had been less than happy to see her. He had virtually flinched away like a beaten dog. At the time it had amused her, now...  
  
"What am I going to tell Kasumi?" Akane wondered quietly. "What have I done? What am I going to do?"  
  
*****  
  
Cologne sighed at the sound of a clattering tray and she looked out to where Shampoo was angrily clawing up a salaryman's leg. Said salary man was screaming like a little girl to the enjoyment of the patrons, especially the female ones. Cologne guessed what had happened fairly well.  
  
The salaryman had probably grabbed some piece of anatomy he shouldn't have. Shampoo, forgetting herself, had probably decided to mangle said salaryman into something unrecognizeable. Once the actual decision to seriously hurt someone had been reached. Poof...instant Shampoo-neko.  
  
"Mousse if you would please dislodge Shampoo from the customer," Cologne said dryly. The blind boy nodded and moved to grab Shampoo, and found himself grabbed instead, as the scream of pain testified.  
  
Cologne hadn't yet figured out exactly how the son-in-law had called down a divine curse on her daughter to alter the Jusenkyo magic. She did know why, however, and after hearing about the whole story was, to put it mildly quite disappointed with her grand-daughter. The changes were still reversed with hot-water, but now there were two changes.  
  
Cologne remembered what had happened when some abusive boyfriend had caught Shampoo's attention by smacking his girlfriend in front of the store. Cologne was about to do something herself to teach the young man a lesson, but Shampoo beat her to it. A cat-hybrid Shampoo that had caught the second slap and then proceeded to crush the hand while growling angrily at the man.  
  
So, Shampoo had a curse that gave her power if she used it according to Ranma's code, protecting the weak, but took it away if she tried to hurt someone for petty reasons. It was a vast disappoint to Cologne that Shampoo had not yet realized this fact. She was on the verge of telling the girl herself, outright.  
  
Cologne briefly wondered why she bothered staying in Japan. But that question was easily answered. There were several reasons.  
First, Shampoo insisted they stay. She often took her days off seeking out Ranma and Nabiki's whereabouts. She swore every time that she had almost found them, but every time she sought them out it was a dead end.   
  
Cologne especially remembered the close call with that girl and her private eye guardian. Suzuki-san had certainly LOOKED like Ranma's girl form, but that was all. Ranma did not speak so formally, nor did he use a Katana in that manner.  
  
The second reason was that she liked it here. The kids were mostly of a good sort, and she made it her business to check up on them from time to time. Some were doing better than others with the changes that happened a year ago.  
  
The last reason was that she didn't trust Happosai. The old man had always struck her as more than he seemed, or maybe less, and she made it her business to watch him.   
  
*****  
  
Ukyou sighed wearily as she closed up her restaurant. They said that once you lost your youth, it never came back. She thought she had lost it more than ten years before. There were times that she contemplated ending it all, but she didn't. She wasn't certain why, except that doing so would hurt a lot of people.  
  
Konatsu needed her, Ryouga would probably starve without her, surprisingly Cologne seemed to be giving her attention recently, as was Kasumi (though that was less of a surprise) and Ranma still cared for her.   
  
At least she thought so from the fact he and Nabiki said goodbye before leaving, and she didn't want to put a burden on him that he caused her death even by suicide. Besides, suicide was a weak person's way out.  
So Ukyou trained with Konatsu, sometimes Cologne, and ran her Okonomiyaki shop, and existed.  
  
"Ahh, tis the wonderful smell of Kuonji-san's cooking," a new voice said. Ukyou frowned, thinking that a certain samurai was paying her a visit.  
  
"Look Kuno, I'm not..." Ukyou blinked as she lifted her eyes and recognized Pantyhose Tarou. She'd served him once or twice in between his pestering Ranma and Happosai, but she hadn't seen him for a long time.  
  
"You actually thought I was that idiot?" Tarou said rolling his eyes. "Really, so, Crossdresser #2, do you know where Crossdresser #1 is today?"  
  
"Ranma left Nerima a year ago, jerk," Ukyou said.  
  
"What?" Tarou demanded.  
  
*****  
  
Happosai was having the time of his life. Most people still refused to actively learn from him, but that could always come later. As it was, he was free to persue his primary past time. Stealing girl's underwear.  
  
"Whatta a haul," Happosai declared cheerfully. "What a haul! Hee hee. Not so fun without the games any longer, but some of the second-stringers around her can be fun."  
  
Happosai's ear caught the sound of someone bemoaning his life.  
  
"Why! WHY! Can't I make her see me?" a scrawny kid, yelled. "Ranma's gone and she still won't say anything to me."  
  
Happosai pulled out his pipe and examined the boy. Dark circles under the eyes, gangly, stringy, featherweight. A rather small potential, but perhaps, an interesting challenge.  
  
"Perhaps we can come to a deal, boy," Happosai said, surprising Gosunkugi almost to death.  
  
*****  
  
"Well," Ranma said as they left the city offices. "That's that I guess. We're finally Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka..."  
  
"Finally," Nabiki agreed. "Legally married, with a child." It was rather momentous actually.   
  
They had spent the last year several times sleeping in the same bed, but just that, sleeping. Nothing else the rest of the Nerima crew might have been thinking. It just made it safer for Midori to be between the two adults, that's all.   
  
There was certainly no other reason for it. He/she couldn't possibly be interested in that with her/him. Could he/she?  
  
"Now we can get some real jobs and make some real money," Nabiki said.  
  
"Okay," Ranma said. "Let's go help move the stuff into the house." Nabiki nodded, and glanced down at the little girl between them.  
  
"Are we done now?" Midori asked wearily, yawning.  
  
"We're done now," Nabiki assured her.  
  
"Yay!" Midori cheered. "Can I ride on your shoulders, Daddy?"  
  
"Sure kid," Ranma said, reaching down to pick her up and place her on his shoulders.   
  
After that Midori spent the time humming a random wordless tune that changed from moment to moment and watched the world go by from the shoulders of her father.   
  
Her parents were talking about "explaining the growth spurts" to that Megumi person, and they were using lots of words she didn't know. Well, Nabiki was, Ranma was being vague and using as few words as possible. In any case, Midori paid close attention to the conversation, she really loved learning new words.  
  
*****  
  
"I thought she said this came fully furnished," Urd said peevishly.   
"And she has roommates, why does she need us to help move things around."  
  
"Urd," Belldandy chided. "We should be happy to help Megumi settle into a new home."  
  
"Remember the last new apartment she got?" Skuld asked nervously. She still had nightmares about ghosts from that.  
  
"Really, it can't be as bad as that," Belldandy said.  
  
"Let's hope not," Keiichi sighed. "Well here we are." Megumi appeared on the small sidewalk in front of the house and waved vigoursly. The need for help was obvious, the house, in good condition itself, seemed to be a disaser zone, with lots of trash being removed.  
  
"Hey guys!" she called out. "Over here, isn't it great?"  
  
"Oh, how charming!" Belldandy said, though Keiichi thought he detected a strained tone in even HER cheerful manner.  
  
"Yeah, great Megumi," Keiichi said dryly. Skuld was crying her eyes out and Urd was trying to scheme a way to get out of this.   
  
"Go inside and get something to drink," Megumi said. "And then we can get to work."  
  
"All right," Keiichi said, following Megumi's advice and heading inside with his own housemates. "I wonder where her roommates are?"  
  
"I'm sure they're around," Belldandy said. The sound of working in the back of the house drifted to their ears. "See."  
  
"This is a big house," Skuld noted, much less despairing when she saw the, comparatively, cleaner inside.  
  
"So where are the drinks?" Urd asked wearily as she entered the house and started looking for the kitchen. Keiichi shrugged and turned to a door and opened it. He saw nothing interesting, just more debris and "storage."  
  
~Fully furnished,~ Keiichi muttered to himself with narrowed eyes. ~Right.~   
  
He opened another door and found himself faced with a brown-haired teenager cleaning the room while a small child followed her around "helping." The girl turned around to look at who entered the room and Keiichi saw the goddess marks.  
  
"Who that, Mommy?" the little girl, also with goddess marks, asked. The girl seemed about to answer but Keiichi beat her too it.  
  
"Excuse me," Keiichi said, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him, leaving a confused Nabiki.  
  
"Is something wrong Keiichi?" Belldandy asked as she caught up to him. "You seem pale."  
  
"There's a goddess and her daughter in the room behind me," Keiichi said.  
  
"Oh my," Belldandy said.  
  
He felt the door opening behind him and jumped away from it. Nabiki came out quickly, face curious and a little anger.  
  
"Excuse me do you have a pro...?" Nabiki's anger was derailed as she saw the marks on Belldandy's face. "...blem?"  
  
"Oh, hello," Belldandy said.  
  
"Uhh, excuse me," Nabiki said. "Where'd you get those marks on your head?"  
  
"Oh I see you met Nabiki and Midori," Megumi said coming in.  
  
"Belldandy, Belldandy!" Skuld came running, shouting. "There's a god in the...back...room...there's another one...err...two."  
  
"Gods," Nabiki and Megumi said dizzily at once.  
  
"Yeah," Urd said, joining the scene. "What did you think these little things on your face were?"  
  
"Hey Megumi," Ranma said. "Who was the little kid that came back here and then went running." He looked around at the various faces, confused. "Did I miss something?" 


	5. Considerations

"What was that about 'gods?'" Megumi asked.  
  
"Uhhh, Goth," Keiichi said, suddenly. "She meant Goths, they're ones that paint themselves blue right?"  
  
"Actually, that's the Celts," Urd said.  
  
"You're not helping, Urd," Keiichi muttered under his breath while his sister's eyes were on the white-haired goddess.  
  
"Right," Megumi said, eyes narrowed. "Is that what you meant, Skuld?"  
  
"Uhh..." Skuld stood there trapped. She couldn't lie, well she could, but that would be very bad. She didn't really want to tell the truth either, and in her predicament she forgot the rule of answering questions with questions.  
  
Midori meanwhile watched this curiously, holding Nabiki's hands and humming.  
  
"Who believes in gods these days?" Nabiki asked dismissively a smirk on her face. "Really, that's a silly idea. Like something you'd hear out of Juuban or Nerima."  
  
"Yeah," Ranma said, confused. He was about to add more but he caught a look of Nabiki flashing him the "keep quiet" face. "Weren't we going to have break when they got here?"  
  
"Right," Megumi said. "It is silly. Especially since that would mean my brother's been shacking up with a bunch of goddesses, and I just know that's not possible." She shrugged with a smirk toward a fuming Keiichi as she left the room to get the promised sodas.  
  
"We shall need to talk to you later," Belldandy said.  
  
"Of course," Nabiki agreed almost off-handedly. Then Megumi came back with sodas and they all retreated to their intangible corners.   
  
"Okay everyone," Megumi said. "These are my housemates, Ranma, Nabiki and Midori Tanaka. And this is my brother, Keiichi. His girlfriend, Belldandy, and her sister's Urd and Skuld." She gestured toward each person in turn.  
  
"I am pleased to meet you," Belldandy said, bowing politely. Urd waved and seemed to be trying to dissect (oer maybe dismantle) them visually.  
  
"Yeah, us too," Ranma said. Nabiki nodded from her seat next to Ranma.  
  
Midori at this point felt herself falling to sleep, and fought valiently against the emerging yawn. It eventually came out in a loud, stretched yawn. This produced the reaction she was dreading.  
  
"Oops," Ranma said. "Looks like nap time."  
  
"I don't need nap, Daddy," Midori protested, blinking and yawning again.  
  
"Don't try to fool us, little girl," Nabiki said in an amused voice. "Let's go. Ranma want to help me with this?"  
  
"No problem," Ranma said, following Nabiki.  
  
"Don wanna," Midori complained loudly as Nabiki picked her up and carried back to one of the cleared rooms.  
  
"She even sings her whining," Megumi noted, blinking at the departing family.  
  
"Well," Urd said watching them go. "I've had my fill, why don't the squirt and I go and get started on cleaning one of these rooms?" She grabbed Skuld, who was discovering the wonders of the root beer float.  
  
"But..." she said hesitantly before being dragged away, barely managing to save her drink from spilling.  
  
"Well, that was a shorter break than I expected," Megumi said somewhat surprised, more at Urd saying she was heading to do some work.  
  
That statement worried her actually.  
  
"I'm sure they'll be right back," Belldandy said.  
  
"Yeah," Keiichi said. "When was the last time you knew Urd to work for longer than ten minutes at a stretch?"  
  
*****  
  
As they set Midori down for her nap, which she struggled greatly but vainly against, Ranma and Nabiki looked at the girl's little bed with its safety bars.  
  
"I don't know if I'm going to be able to get used to this," Nabiki said as she watched Midori sleeping quietly.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma said. "Be kinda odd sleeping alone now."  
  
"Who says you'll be sleeping alone," Nabiki asked, a trifle hurt.  
  
"But..." Ranma started before Nabiki cut him off.  
  
"You don't think it would be a little funny for a married couple our age to be sleeping separately in this day and age?" Nabiki asked. "Really, we've gotten by this long without anything happening."  
  
~Just barely,~ both thought in addition to that. ~Good thing I never tried anything.~  
  
"Besides," Nabiki said. "You're better, and cheaper, than an electric blanket."  
  
"Errr, thanks," Ranma said blushing. ~I wish she wouldn't tease me like that.~ "Now, uhh, what did I miss?"  
  
~I really shouldn't tempt myself like that,~ Nabiki thought as she softly rocked the crib. Ranma stood right behind her, less than an inch away, but she barely noticed that. "Saffron called himself a god, right?"  
  
"Yeah," Ranma said. "Why?"  
  
"And you said our auras resemble his, right?" she asked.  
  
"Sorta," Ranma said. "We're more whole and balanced, and a lot more powerful. Though you still don't fight the best. But I sorta interrupted his growth or somethin' so maybe that's why."  
  
"So is there a possibility that we're gods?" Nabiki asked. Ranma's gaze broke from his daughter to look into Nabiki's face, now turning up from the little girl to look at him.  
  
*****  
  
"Okay squirt," Urd said. "We're clear now, pull down some files."  
  
"You almost made me spill my drink Urd!!" Skuld whined. "I would have lost all the ice cream!"  
  
"Just figure out who these gods are and what they're doing her," Urd asked. "There's something odd about two gods with an infant daughter coming to midgard."  
  
"Don't I know it," Skuld said, producing a square out of her pocket that unfolded into a computer. She typed at hyper speed for a few moments, and then laughed out in victory as her computer began to display three files.  
  
"All three third class gods," Urd noted. "Provision, Change, and Rebirth. Okay, okay, this is all the basic stuff, can you pull up affiliations?"  
  
"Of course, I already glanced at that," Skuld said, rolling her eyes at the unintenional insult. "There are no official affiliations, but Ranma's a cat deity."  
  
Contrary to popular belief, and Bast's supporting implications, there were many cat deities. Just like their were many powers connected to ravens and wolves and bears, and so on. Bast was just the most well known.   
  
It wasn't really a domain, the afforementioned "Goddess of Cats"' official title was "Goddess of Pleasure and Pregnant Women." (A domain she had acquired for obvious reasons) However, those deities connected to animals did have certain tendencies attached to them, however.  
  
"And a dual god(dess)," Urd noted whistling. "Cat, that makes him trickster, war, or hearth."  
  
"Or all three," Skuld said. "Primarily concerned with hearth and home, very strong martial aspect and trickster trends. Nabiki has a trickster aspect strong enough to be her secondary domain. Still most likely a hearth goddess."  
  
"What about the kid," Urd asked, reaching around Skuld.  
  
"Hey!" Skuld snapped irritably as Urd scrolled down.  
  
"Hearth," Urd said as if it were predictable. "If she grows up with that father she may have a martial aspect before long, too. Now to pull up their backgrounds."  
  
"Urd," Skuld said warningly. "Get your hands off my computer."  
  
*****  
  
"Do gods live hand ta mouth?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Do mortals go without food for a ten months?" Nabiki countered. "Because, before that meal with Megumi yesterday, that was the last time either of us had eaten anything."  
  
"It don't make sense," Ranma said shrugging.  
  
"And you conceiving and giving birth within two days does?" Nabiki asked.  
  
"Point taken," Ranma said reluctantly.  
  
"And that is something straight out of a myth," Nabiki said.  
  
"What made you think of this?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Something Megumi's friends let slip," Nabiki said.  
  
"Oh yeah," Ranma said. "Did you notice they have those same marks on their head that we do?"  
  
"You don't say Ranma-Baby," Nabiki said dryly.  
  
At which point there was a muffled explosion and scream. Nabiki glanced to Ranma, who nodded before leaving for the sound. Nabiki looked down nervously at Midori and then back at Ranma.  
  
"Don't be concerned," a voice said as Belldandy appeared in the door to block Ranma's path. "My sister's sometimes fail to get along."  
  
"Urd, Skuld!" Keiichi called out from elsewhere in the house. "Can't you two avoid destroying other people's property for once?"  
  
"My poor house!?" Megumi cried out, somewhere near her brother.  
  
"Is this a regular occurence?" Ranma asked tightly.  
  
"Because we left our homes to avoid situations like that," Nabiki added. "Random explosions and such."  
  
"Bad for kids," Ranma finished.  
  
"Urd and Skuld would never allow any child to be endangered," Belldandy said. Then she laughed. "In any case you live with Megumi, not us."  
  
"Good point," Nabiki said.  
  
*****  
  
"Really," Megumi said irritably. "Sneaking off to play video games, I thought better of you Skuld."  
  
"Hey, what about me?" Urd protested cutely. Keiichi, Megumi and Skuld glanced at Urd before turning back to Skuld.  
  
"Yeah, Skuld," Keiichi said. "I thought at least you knew how to behave maturely." ~Better than Urd at least.~  
  
"Hey!" Urd protested.  
  
"Well," Belldandy said returning with Ranma. "Nabiki is watching Midori, but I suggest that the rest of us get started on working."  
  
"Right," Megumi said. "The sooner we get started the sooner we're finished."  
  
"Aww, man," Urd sighed. "I should have skipped while I had the chance."  
  
*****  
  
It took most of the day to clear out the house of all the junk infesting it. Urd kept grumbling to herself about "easier ways" and Skuld about manual labor. There was little other complaint, however.  
  
Everyone was certainly impressed by Ranma's physical skills. Keiichi kept worrying that the pig-tailed god was going to blow the goddesses' cover. If he had known that Ranma was doing what had been mild labor before ascending, his eyes would have bugged out.  
  
"Thanks a lot for the help guys," Megumi said cheerfully, as she considered the bath she was going to draw in a moment. "Come by and visit anytime!"  
  
"And you and your friends may visit us as well," Belldandy said. "As usual, at any time."  
  
"Of course," Megumi said. "As usual."  
  
"Thanks for the offer," Nabiki said bowing.  
  
"Can we go home now?" someone whined. It wasn't Skuld, but it was female.  
  
"Be careful, Megumi," Keiichi said.  
  
"Bye bye!" Midori sung.  
  
He wasn't too worried. With a couple of gods watching over her, his sister was probably fairly well protected. Until, of course, he remembered the "act of god" clause on most insurance policies. It was the reason most such policies were useless in his life.  
  
"Stop worrying, Bro," Megumi said, waving off the concern and waving goodbye as the temple group walked down the path. She turned to Ranma and Nabiki. "I don't know about you two, but I'm getting a bath and heading for bed, see ya."  
  
"Good thing there's a separate shower in this place," Nabiki said. "I'm tired and I don't feel like waiting for the bath."  
  
"But why can't I sleep in the bed with you?" Midori whined wearily when they set her in her bed.  
  
"Because you have your own bed now," Nabiki said. "You're getting to be a big girl, and big girls don't sleep with their parents."  
  
"If you need us we're right in the next room," Ranma said.  
  
"Are we going to get a TV?" Midori asked petulantly changing the topic of conversation.  
  
"We'll see," Nabiki said. "Now, go to sleep." And her tone allowed for no argument, though it was laced with affection.  
  
"Night, kid," Ranma said. "And if there are monsters under your bed you know what to do."  
  
"Tie 'em into knots," Midori said proudly, yawning. Then she was pleading. "Can you tell me a story Daddy?"  
  
"Yeah, you do that and I'll get my shower," Nabiki said, patting Ranma on the shoulder.  
  
"Uh, okay," Ranma said shrugging as he tried to remember a story to tell Midori.  
  
"Tell me about the silly panda again!" Midori asked, clapping. Ranma sighed as Nabiki rolled her eyes on the way out.  
  
****  
  
Ranma and Nabiki looked at the western bed they had salvaged. It was full-sized, not much room. Still, they'd shared smaller beds with Midori between them before.  
  
Nabiki and Ranma settled down on opposite sides of the bed, their customary foot or so apart. By habit they both lay facing the other.  
  
"How do you think they're doing in Nerima," Nabiki asked.  
  
"I hope they're doing good," Ranma said. "You know we'll go back to make sure they're all right and help them if not. We promised that."  
  
"Yeah," Nabiki said. "But how soon? Good night, Ranma-Baby." Nabiki yawned.  
  
"You too, Nabs," Ranma answered, yawning himself before shifting around for a little and falling asleep.  
  
Midori yawned as woke up later that night and wiped at her eyes. She looked at the safety bars for a moment in puzzlement before finding the "childproof, hidden" latch and unlocking it. She slipped out of bed and rubbed at her eyes some more as she walked to through the darkness to where her parents were. She opened the door quietly and yawned loudly  
  
Nabiki shifted forward in bed, reacting unconsciously to hearing Midori, and reached out with arm to locate the noise she had heard. At the same time Ranma also reached out to unconsciously protect and sooth his daughter.  
  
Midori giggled musically as her mommy's hand found her daddy and, fogged by the fact that Nabiki was technically asleep, grabbed the young man tightly and pulled herself closer, reaching one hand up to a strangely tall child's head. Still she was quite strongly asleep, and even the presence of an arm holding her gently and securely also went mostly unnoticed.  
  
Nabiki started to snuggle closer to the big warm thing that made her feel safe. Her sleeping mind had somehow forgotten Midori once it had determined that Midori was not in her bed. And now she was grasping more like someone seeking comfort than giving it.  
  
Ranma's arms held her tighter, but still gently. The thing in his arms didn't seem to be Midori, and something in the back of his sleeping mind reminded him that she was in her bed, but he still responded to the other's desire to be held.  
  
Then Midori took a step and tripped on a loose section of the floor. The charm of the scene was ended as she smacked into the floor and loudly complained about the impact.  
  
Ranma and Nabiki had originally been deep sleepers, the both of them. The earth could move and they wouldn't even notice, and that had been proven in the last earthquake.  
  
This was before parenthood.  
  
They both woke up and realized exactly the situation they were in. The pose wasn't sexual, but was very intimate, more intimate than sex on its own really. Rather more intimate than they had expected, especially considering they had fallen asleep about a foot apart originally.  
  
They did not dwell on this issue at all, and it was hardly a split second before they were out of bed to see what Midori needed.  
  
Later, after Midori had been soothed back to sleep, they stared across from each other cautiously.  
  
"Well, Ranma-baby?" Nabiki asked trying to keep her voice at its usual tone.  
"I think we need to talk," Ranma said.  
  
"Yeah, that seems obvious," Nabiki said.  
  
"Right now?" Ranma asked nervous and tired.  
  
~I need more time,~ Nabiki thought. "Maybe tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah, tomorrow is good," Ranma agreed. ~Whew that was close.~ They both lay back down on the small bed and Ranma started to pull the covers.  
  
"It really doesn't make sense to sleep so far apart," Nabiki said, not noticing the implications of her choice "so far."  
  
"Yeah, it'll be more comfortable in the center of the bed," Ranma agreed. Ranma and Nabiki, cautiously at first, snuggled closer, in more or less the same position they had been on waking up, before letting themselves fall back to sleep. 


	6. Talking

Ranma lay awake in bed just holding Nabiki quietly. The girl's breath came deeply and evenly in his arms, pressing up against him as she inhaled. Releasing a hot, gentle breath that trickled over his face as she exhaled.  
He could feel the strong rhythmic beat of her heart through the thin barrier of her t-shirt and bra. There were flashes of heat below, where there legs touched and had entwined the night before. Nabiki was certainly correct when she said that another person was better than an electric blanket.  
Nabiki didn't wake up easily or early unless she forced herself to. Nabiki made it a habit to force herself practically all the time. As a result she almost never gave the impression of having rested in the morning, hair going anywhere, eyes blurry and blinking.  
In Nerima she had used an alarm clock, now she tended to wake up when Ranma did. Feeling him, or Midori move, tended to bring her conscious enough to go about the day.  
Ranma had decided to let her sleep herself out for once. She'd probably be upset with him later, but she deserved a rest for once.  
He cautiously, very cautiously, reached a hand up to stroke her hair. He had seen hair that was naturally green, blue, purple, pink, white and, of course, red. Nabiki's brown would probably seem very tame to most people by comparison. He didn't think so, at least not any more. Maybe it was just, after all those many varied and bright colors, that brown and black seemed quite exotic.  
He thought about what had happened last night. They'd woken up in each other's arms...and then had gone back to sleep like that, with discussion about talking later. But Nabiki had been the one to suggest going ahead and sleeping together, really together. Which was how he was able to enjoy her presence right now.  
Ranma glanced at the clock, it was almost ten o'clock in the morning. Nabiki was going to be really upset when she finally woke up. He should be training himself, but if he moved to much, she woke up.  
He sighed and leaned his face forward to kiss her forehead. Then he heard the door creak open. His daughter's violet maned head peeked into the room.  
"Daddy?" she asked quietly. "Will you p'actice today?"  
"Sshh," Ranma said quickly. "Mommy's asleep."  
"No she's not," Nabiki answered. Ranma's face flushed, wondering how long she'd been awake. Nabiki sat up and looked at the clock with a blank expression. "Ranma, practically the whole morning is gone. Why didn't you wake me up?"  
"Errr..." Ranma sweatdropped.  
"Daddy..." Midori said insistantly, comming over to grab Ranma's hand.  
"Never mind," Nabiki said. "Midori wants to watch her daddy train, you go do that, I'll salvage what I can this morning."  
"Yeah, Daddy," Midori insisted tugging at him.  
"Sorry," Ranma sighed. He had expected this reaction after all.   
He watched her face to see any sign of something to indicate whether she was awake when he kissed her or not. Nabiki's face seemed rather sleepy still, though not as much as usual when she woke up, and she seemed to be holding something back. But he couldn't tell whether it was her temper or something else, or why she was holding it back.  
"Go play with your daughter," Nabiki said, breaking into a gentle smile. Ranma left the room a little later with his daughter leading the way.   
Nabiki caught her breath as he left and her hand reached up to her forehead.  
  
*****  
  
"Wow," Megumi said as she sat down next to Nabiki and watched Ranma in the small backward running a kata. Her morning classes were over and so she had a couple of hours before the next class. "He's something else."  
"That he is," Nabiki said, looking up from the want ads of the paper and glancing toward Ranma for a moment. The expression didn't change much from Nabiki's normal amused face, but Megumi recognized the look in her eyes from watching Belldandy and Keiichi. Strangely enough it also had a trace of uncertainty to it.  
Megumi noticed Midori off to the side, trying to copy her father's motions. She looked at the little Chinese girl for a moment, uncomfortable with what she was going to ask.  
"Uh, before I put my foot in my mouth," Megumi said, whispering. "Should I avoid the topic of Midori's father around you and Ranma?"   
Nabiki's expression became the knowing, slightly superior smirk that she had worn while watching Ranma finish that basketball game.  
"Too late," she said, amusedly. "Ranma's the father, I'm her stepmother."  
"Oh!" Megumi gasped. "Sorry. I...uh...well, sorry. I just assumed."  
"But you might not want to ask about the mother," Nabiki continued, turning serious. "She was somebody Ranma encountered in China before we knew each other. She died and responsibility fell out of the blue on Ranma."   
It was the same explanation she had come up with for the fiancees and had stuck with whenever Midori's Chinese appearance became an issue.  
"Oh," Megumi said, a little sadly. "I see. So...uh...anyway, find any likely jobs yet?"  
"There's a few restaurants hiring waitresses," Nabiki said. "That'll be good for a start. Better than hustling jocks."  
"Why not give martial arts lessons," Megumi asked, looking again to Ranma and hoping Nabiki didn't get upset at her admiration of his form. "I'll bet Ranma would be great at that."  
"Ranma will only teach privately at the moment," she said simply. "Anyway, between us, something will turn up. It always does." She said that with absolute certainty.  
"I hope so," Megumi said. "If we break lease, we're in real trouble."  
"Don't worry about that," Nabiki said smirking. "We said we'd help you with this, so we'll help you."  
"Glad to hear it," Megumi said. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I saw Belldandy on Campus. She and Keiichi have a free hour coming up and said they'd like to talk to you about something."  
"Oh," Nabiki said, hiding her enthusiasm for that very well. "That's good to hear, been a while since we've had anyone to talk to for very long."  
"Yeah, being on the road and all," Megumi agreed, shivering as she considered the life they must have led so far.   
Nabiki turned back to Ranma, who was glancing their direction. Most likely he'd heard the entire conversation, his hearing was good enough. She watched him for a few moments with a faint smile before turning back to Megumi to continue polite chit chat while reading the want ads.  
  
*****  
  
"Good afternoon, Nabiki, Ranma," Belldandy said as they approached her, Skuld and Keiichi. She angled her gaze down to look at Midori. "And hello, Midori-chan."  
"Hello," Nabiki answered, sitting down at the small picnic table.  
"Yeah, hello," Ranma said. "Maybe you can answer a few questions for us." Nabiki sighed and shook her head, glancing at the unsubtle Ranma. "What?"  
"Hello, Belle-san," Midori sang back waving vigorously.  
Ranma and Nabiki noted that with some relief, Midori had good instincts about people. If she thought Belldandy was okay then it confirmed their own opinions of her.  
"Hello," Keiichi said from next to Belldandy.   
He watched them cautiously, half-afraid this could be another recall order type thing. The time he'd spent with Ranma and Nabiki the other day suggested otherwise but the worry remained.  
"What it be okay if Skuld watches your daughter at the playscape while we talk?" Belldandy asked. Nabiki and Ranma glanced in that direction and exchanged a look, apparently coming to a decision they turned back to Belldandy.  
"That should be fine," Nabiki said, while Ranma adjusted his seat so that he could keep an eye on the playground as well.  
"Why do I get stuck babysitting?" Skuld asked.  
"Can I go on the swings, Daddy?" Midori asked excitedly.  
"No," Ranma said. "Maybe when you're older."  
"I'm older now," Midori protested turning to Nabiki.  
"You think I'll go easier than your father?" Nabiki asked, arching an eyebrow.  
"No fair," Midori said.  
"You're too little for the swings anyway," Skuld said. "Come on, let's get this over with."  
"No fair," Midori repeated as she walked off.  
"Now, as Ranma said," Nabiki reminded them. "There are questions we could ask of you."  
"First, do you mind if I tell you what I know of your life?" Belldandy asked.  
"Sure," Nabiki said. If she wanted to play her hand out early, far be it from Nabiki to stop her.  
"You are Nabiki, Goddess of Provision; Ranma, God of Change; and Midori, Goddess of Rebirth," Belldandy said. "On your second day of divinity you, Nabiki, with help from your step-daughter, healed a tormented soul while Ranma placed a divine curse upon a girl that both punished her and encouraged her to redeem herself."  
Nabiki and Ranma sat there stunned speechless.  
"How did you know about that?" Nabiki asked faintly. Belldandy smiled sunnily.  
"Heaven knows all," Belldandy said. "Though Kami-sama tends to limit our access to that knowledge. At any rate, since then, without any training on how to do things, the three of you have collectively turned around the lives of more than sixty people for the better, including preventing six suicides, two murders and other assorted forms of violence."  
"Wow," Keiichi said. "That's impressive."  
"Yes," Belldandy said. "Though perhaps they could have done it without hustling the athletes at colleges, gyms, and the like. Or the plethora of assorted confidence games. Or, in one case, outright blackmail." Keiichi facefaulted.  
"Life is hard when you refuse to claim a family," Nabiki said. "And he deserved it." Belldandy nodded.  
"You have also left behind a string of promises," Belldandy noted.  
"We're keepin' em," Ranma insisted. Nabiki nodded.  
"If there's one thing I learned," Nabiki said. "Always keep your promises."  
They were both still fairly shocked by the amount of information Belldandy had on them.  
"It's just as well that that's Heaven's attitude as well," Belldandy said smiling. Ranma and Nabiki winced.  
"Okay," Nabiki said. "Assume this god deal is correct, can you explain why we've been having such a hard time living the past year if we're supposed to be deities?"  
"Have you really?" Belldandy asked. "Have you not, every time, known what was needed, adapted to acquire it, and never truly last faith?" She looked from Nabiki to Ranma to Midori pointedly.  
"I've always been good at handling things," Nabiki said. "And adaptivity is the corner stone of Ranma's martial arts style. As for Midori, why WOULDN'T anyone do everything they can for their child." Belldandy smiled again. Nabiki wished she wouldn't do that, it sort of reminded her of Kasumi a little.  
"If we're gods, what's he?" Ranma asked looking at Keiichi. "He's got a strong aura, but it's human, and he don't move like a martial artist."  
"Oh, Keiichi is my boyfriend," Belldandy said.  
"It's a long story," Keiichi said wearily. "Look, is there anything we could do to prove to you that you're gods?"  
"I don't know," Nabiki said. "A full eclipse followed by red lightning bolts tumbling down out of a cloudless sky and sky-writing the number 42 across the sky written out in fifteen seperate alphabets and forty lanugages?"  
"Would you settle for a brief trip to Heaven?" Belldandy asked.  
"That almost sounds like a threat," Ranma said. "Usually people say they're gonna send me to hell though."  
"You probably don't want to go there," Keiichi said. "Demons aren't exactly the best people to hang around."  
"I don't suppose they would be," Nabiki said. "Now what's this about a trip to Heaven?"  
"You have some paperwork to fill," Belldandy explained. "And Kami-sama would like to speak to you. After that you shall be back here again. As I said, you have a number of promises to keep."  
"And how would we get to heaven?" Ranma asked.  
"If you would call your daughter over," Belldandy asked. "I'll show you." Ranma and Nabiki frowned for a moment. All their instincts said to trust the woman, and their instincts were rarely wrong, but they hesitated. "Or rather, Skuld will show you."  
"I'll go first," Ranma said. "Midori, come over here." Midori blinked, surprised and looked to the sand castle she had been building. Small seedlings were beginning to appear to break the surface of the sand around her in the public sandbox.  
"But I'm not finished," she said. She sighed, and stood up, following an irritable looking Skuld back to the table the adults were sitting at. "Daddy, please?"  
"Not just yet," Ranma said.  
"Okay," Nabiki said, waiting for them to call a taxi or something otherwise mundane that would prove how crazy they were, or disprove this thing that was upturning what she believed about life. "How do we get to Heaven?"  
"Ranma's transport medium is water," Belldandy said. "That means that he can travel between places through pools of water. I can do the same with mirrors. Your medium is telephones, and Midori's is music."  
Belldandy poured water into a small bowl.  
"Skuld, if you would please?" Belldandy said.  
"Okay, okay," Skuld muttered. "Now pay attention! Because I'm only showing you once!" She grabbed Ranma's hand and jumped towards the table.  
"Hey!" Ranma said. "What are doing? You're gonna knock over..." Then a hole or gate appeared in the bowl of Ranma as a light irised out of it and Ranma and Skuld vanished.   
"RANMA!" Nabiki's eyes widened dramatically. Midori clapped and laughed at the sight, not quite aware of anything necessarily bad about her daddy disappearing into a flash of light. As long as he came back anyway.  
Nabiki glanced up to Belldandy nervously now that her husband and defender was apparently gone.  
"Do not fear," Belldandy said. "He should be back soon." Somehow, Nabiki believed her and did feel relieved.  
  
*****  
  
"So," Skuld said, questioningly. "Did you catch that? Or do I have to show you again?"  
Ranma jerked his hand out from her's as soon as they appeared in a courtyard around a fountain. A large number of people like him, Nabiki and Midori were walking around, not evening batting an eye at their strange, to Ranma, appearance. He had, however, noted how the little girl in front of him twisted her aura to create the gate through the water.  
"Yeah," Ranma said. "I got it, how do I make it go where I want?"  
"All you have to do," Skuld said slowly, word by word. "Is think about where you want to go."  
"Fine," Ranma said, glancing around nervously at the huge courtyard around him.   
It defied description. The sky extended clear blue forever, but it seemed to be day and night all at once. There was no moon or sun that he could see, and it seemed that the blue would shift to a dark midnight and back to blue with little more than a twist of thought.  
The ground looked like some science fiction author had designed an utopia out of glass, metal, and stone. There was occasionally a mediveal theme but it seemed to be mostly modern. The hills rolled along and great trees grew up around and through the futuristic buildings, as if they were built around them. Wild animals strolled through the streets with people (gods?) as if there was nothing unusual. It was the perfect idyllic wilderness and techno city all rolled into one.  
A storm rolled on endlessly, but seemed to only fade occasionally into hearing or vision. Still Ranma was certain it was rolling on even if he couldn't hear or see it. A hot breeze blew by sending a comfortable shiver of coolness over his back.  
It was seemingly perfect no matter what the taste, not minding that it was a paradox to be perfectly hot, perfectly cool, perfectly light, perfectly dark, perfectly wild and perfectly modern all at once.  
"I'll be right back I guess," Ranma said under his breath.  
  
*****  
  
"Ranma!" Nabiki gasped as soon as Ranma appeared. "Oh thank god! I wasn't sure what had happened! Where'd you go?"  
"I think it was Heaven," Ranma said. Nabiki pulled in her breath for a moment, and then nodded resignedly.  
~So we ARE gods then,~ Nabiki thought. ~What's this mean now?~  
"I'll show you the Nabiki-san," Belldandy said. "I believe Ranma can carry Midori for this."  
"Hai," Ranma said. 


	7. Interview

They stood in the courtyard looking around at the panorama, even Ranma was still staring in renewed shock and confusion. Keiichi was not with them, having stayed behind to attend his classes. Plus, Belldandy was leary to take a mortal to Heaven with her, even Keiichi. He might end up staying, and there was so much still he could do on Midgard.  
"Wow," Midori said looking around her in wonder. She was not old enough yet to know what was and wasn't possible, so she didn't have the shock of either Ranma or Nabiki had upon seeing the paradoxical place.  
"It is quite wonderous," Belldandy agreed.  
"Now there's an understatement," Nabiki muttered, trying to ignore the fact that she was acting like a country hick coming to a big city. She grudgingly admited that was basically the case.  
"If you'll follow me," Belldandy said, gesturing forward.   
Skuld took the lead, looking bored, while Midori walked between her parents looking around in awe, much like her parents. Ranma and Nabiki stayed close to each other and Midori, glancing around and feeling frightened of, of all things, the fact there seemed to be little to be frightened of. They did little to show it, however.  
"How much paperwork is there to do?" Nabiki asked. "Megumi might get a little worried. Plus, one of those promses you're discussing is to help her with the house."  
"You'll be home before she is," Belldandy promised. "I also need to return before too long."  
"Unless we have to deal with Peorth," Skuld added.  
"Who's Peorth?" Ranma asked.  
"Well," Belldandy said. "She's...difficult to explain."  
"THAT'S an understatement," Skuld muttered.   
As they walked along Ranma and Nabiki caught sight of people doing things that they didn't consider impossible, but considered very difficult. Flight, for example, and telekinesis, and people appearing out of thin air, or mirrors, or televisions.  
Belldandy noticed the attention and smiled.  
"And we'll work on basic magic later," Belldandy said.  
"Cool," Midori said, whistling.  
"Interesting," Nabiki said, tapping her chin. "Might I ask what you and your sisters are Goddesses of?"  
"That is an interesting topic," Belldandy said after a moment's pause. "I am Goddess of the Present and of Necessity. Urd is the Goddess of the Past and Fate. Skuld is the Goddess of the Future and Being. Our secondary domains overlap with your primary domains."  
"Where is your sister anyway?" Ranma asked. Nabiki arched an eyebrow at him. "Just seemed odd there was just the two of you here."  
"Urd volunteered to get a headstart on some of your paperwork for you," Belldandy said. "She's the reason this will not take very long."  
"Excuse me," Nabiki said. "From what I understand, Urd isn't the type to volunteer to do work."  
"Well, She and Skuld worked it out between them," Belldandy said. "I'm so proud that they managed to settle something without fighting."   
Of course, what Belldandy was failing to mention was that, without Skuld around, she got into just as many fights with her older sister as the mallet carrying Norn did. But out of the three of them somebody had to act mature, for Skuld's benefit if nothing else.  
Skuld smirked from her place at the head of the line.

"Damn it," Urd groaned as she began to fill in the same information on the thousandth or so screen. "That's the last time I play Jan Ken Pow while I'm drunk. I'll get you for this Skuld."

"At any rate," Belldandy said. "It would seem to be immense coincidence that the three of us should meet the three of you first of all the other deities."  
"Yeah," Ranma said. "Coincidence. Right."  
"I understand the feeling," Belldandy said, smiling in a serenely amused manner.  
"So what goes with the duties of being a god?" Nabiki asked.  
"The duties are varied," Belldandy said. "I assume you will be asked to continue in the manner you have been, with some changes of course. Some of the con-games must be at the very least toned down, but whatever the case you shall be on Earth for some time to come."  
"Why do ya say that?" Ranma asked.  
"You remember your promise to insure that your style of martial arts endures?" Belldandy asked. "How long will it take you to find a suitable heir or heirs. And how long will it take you to train him or her?"  
"Oh yeah," Ranma said.  
"That is only one such promise," Belldandy said. "I have a feeling that you made some of your promises on the assumption of a mortal lifespan." Nabiki's mouth twitched as she considered that.  
"Oh my," Nabiki said.  
"It may be some centuries before the promises you have already made are fulfilled," Belldandy said.  
"Midori," Ranma said, pausing to kneel down in front of his daughter.  
"Hmmm?" Midori looked up from her close examination of a butterfly that drifted past her. "Yes daddy?"  
"Don't make any promises," Ranma said.  
"Uhhh...okay," Midori said, sounding confused. Sometimes her parents told her to do or not do things that sounded silly. She'd learned it was always easiest just to nod and say yes and then go back to doing what she was doing.  
Nabiki shook her head as Ranma instructed Midori, smiling affectionately. She could tell that Midori didn't understand the seriousness of what Ranma was telling her. She'd have to explain a little more thoroughly later.

"And here is the primary office," Belldandy said finally.  
"I've noticed that everybody we've seen so far has pretty much been a god or goddess," Nabiki said. "No mortal souls in heaven?"  
"Well, you haven't seen any residences either," Belldandy said. "That is all on another tier, most mortals do not spend enough time here to acquire duties. They reincarnate and return to midgard, a few stay on and acquire positions in the Einherjar and Valkyries or outright godhood, but not many for either and almost never for the last."  
"So when was the last time a mortal became a god then?" Ranma asked.  
"That would be Joan," Belldandy said. "She prefers the term "saint," however." Belldandy shrugged as if it was an unimportant distinction.  
"That idiot with the big hair and 'blue suede shoes' came close," Skuld reminded her.  
"Wait a minute," Nabiki said. "What religion is the real one?"  
"I'm not sure what you mean," Belldandy said, stopping and looking back at them with a confused expression.  
"I was thinking that Norse had it right the entire time at first," Nabiki said. "But you just implied Christianity has a place, and I heard you live in a Shinto shrine."  
"Those are mortal ideas," Skuld said dismissively. Ranma and Nabiki did not look too happy to have their beliefs so casually waved aside like, however misinformed they were.  
"Excuse Skuld," Belldandy said. "She does not deal well with people. At any rate Kami-sama should not be kept waiting."  
"Uhh, right," Ranma said.

The office of the almighty being was apparently a small grove trees surrounded by curving screens floating in mid air and showing any of a number of scenes. None of the three new deities could see anything else in it other than themselves.  
"Mommy, this window doesn't have a wall," Midori said, pointing to one of the screens.  
"Don't worry," Nabiki said. "I'm sure that's the way it's supposed to be." She paused for a moment. "I hope so anyway."  
"Maybe it's just a waiting room," Ranma said finally. Nabiki turned and gave her husband a curious expression. "Not likely?"  
"Not likely," Nabiki confirmed.  
"And what leads you to believe that you would know?" a voice said.   
It sounded suspiciously like Nabiki's, but at the same time not at all the same. It could almost have been anybody's voice. Almost as if the strongest resemblance to Nabiki was merely because she had last spoken, or else because it was speaking to her.  
"There's only one door from this room," Nabiki noted, not sounding as sure as she usually did. The voice seemed to laugh. Midori giggled along with it.  
"That is hardly an obstacle," it said, still sounding like Nabiki. A second and then a third door appeared in the "walls" of the grove.  
"I've been wrong before," Nabiki admitted finally.  
"And who says you're wrong?" the voice asked again, almost laughing still. It seemed more than a little amused at Nabiki's renewed expression of frustration.  
"Uh, so are you the uh...guy we're supposed to talk to," Ranma asked hesitantly.  
"You could say that," the voice answered. And now it seemed most like Ranma's voice, both of Ranma's voices, and still some of Nabiki's voice remained.   
"Wow," Midori said, looking about and trying to find out where the funny voice was coming from. "Everywhere."  
"Yes," the voice was now the child's voice of Midori. "Everywhere is a good way to describe it."  
"Excuse me...Kami-Sama," Nabiki said. There was no impression of attention being shifted, but perhaps that was because no attention needed to be shifted. "But..."  
"Why you?" the voice asked. "To skip whatever roundabout wording you may have conceived of?"  
"Yeah," Nabiki said. "I've never quite been compared to a god before, mostly it's the other way."  
"I understand that," the voice said, laughing. "It could be plan, it could be chance, it could be accident, it could be destiny."  
"You mean, you don't know?" Ranma said, shocked.  
"Did I say that?" the voice asked, amused. "Why were you born? Why was life created? Why was anything created? Why was I given this power? That is not so important as the question: What are you going to do with it, now that you have it?"  
"Umm, what we have been doing?" Ranma asked. Nabiki started to answer on her own, but then paused and considered it.  
"We'll do what we've always done," Nabiki agreed. They had the sense that something was smiling on them.  
"I thought as much," the voice said, in all their voices, and the voices of many others. "The Norns will instruct you and help you with raising Midori. A word of advice. Prompt action is not always the best call."  
At that the voice was silent, though they did not believe that kami-sama was gone. 

"I thought you would be teaching me martial arts," Gosunkugi said, mildly surprised.  
"I teach to the strengths of the person," Happosai said. "And you have other strengths than fighting. Perhaps, in time I shall teach you these as well, but until then, stick with your strengths."  
"How did you learn of these things, Master?" Gosunkugi asked in an awed tone as he poured over the ancient tome before him.  
"I made a deal for service," Happosai said, smiling darkly.  
"And what price are you asking of me?" Gosunkugi asked cautiously.  
"I merely wish you to use what I teach you to achieve what it is you desire," he said disarmingly. "That is all. Now...test yourself."


	8. Connections

No one was around to see as the bowl of water, untouched for the past hour, swirled out into a vortex of liquid and power and disgorged five individuals into the peaceful confines of the small city park they had earlier met at.

Belldandy came out of the vortex gracefully and gently, a peaceful smile on her face. Skuld, however came out of it like a kid getting off the bus, full of irritation. Ranma and Nabiki were still a little overwhelmed by the enormity of what they were facing and came out like a pair of tribal natives that had skipped the cars, planes and trains and gone right to a ride in a helicopter. Midori of course was thrilled by everything as only a little kid could be.

"Now," Belldandy said. "I would show you our home, but I think it might be more appropriate if you come with Megumi first."

"That'll be good, I guess," Nabiki said. "Is your sister going to be fine with finishing that paper work?"

"She should be," Skuld said. "It's her normal job anyway."

"Urd will be fine," Belldandy said.

"There wasn't that much paper there," Ranma noted. "Looked like she was almost done."

Nabiki decided not to point out that the "paperwork" was being done on a computer screen and that there could still have been hours of work to get done with.

"Yeah, I'm sure you'll find it easy when she finishes sorting it," Skuld noted. "And you have to go through it all and figure out which promises you want to deal with first."

Ranma and Nabiki sweated a bit at that reminder while Belldandy looked more than a little embarrassed,

"Keiichi should be finished with his class fairly soon," Belldandy said, smiling. "Skuld can you go to tell him that we're finished here?"

"Me?" Skuld asked, a little bit bewildered. "I don't even know which class he's in…"

"Oh, excuse me," Belldandy said, gently maneuvering the younger goddess away from the new gods.

As her back turned, Ranma and Nabiki noted Skuld looking a bit flushed and embarrassed herself, though they didn't seem to hear anything from the middle Norn. Then she pointed further into the college campus and her voice rose back to a level that Ranma and Nabiki could both hear.

"Now, he'll be in the Mixed Disciplines hall," Belldandy said. "Archaeological Engineering class. Second floor, third hall, first room."

"All right," Skuld said, a bit more contrite and less irritable than she had been before. She started to walk away and then stopped at a look from Belldandy, turned toward Ranma and Nabiki and, scratching the back of her head for a moment gave a quiet "I'm sorry for being rude."

And then the younger goddess turned awa

"Now," Belldandy said, smiling back at Ranma, Nabiki and Midori. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"I need to talk to this lady about parenting techniques," Nabiki whispered to Ranma.

"Oh," Belldandy said flushing. "I'm afraid I've never been a parent, I don't think I could help you much. Anything else?"

Nabiki laughed nervously as she realized that the other wom…goddess, whatever, had heard her.

"Well," Ranma said, looking a little funny. "There is something…"

"Yes?" Belldandy said, encouragingly.

"There are these…whispers…sometimes…" Ranma said, sounding uncertain.

Nabiki looked at Ranma in surprise as he mentioned that, she had thought they were just people out of her sight talking. She hadn't thought that they'd be something other than that. Or at least, she hadn't let herself think that they'd be something…weird.

"Oh," Belldandy said in realization. "That would be Miss Kuno. Maybe one or two others."

"What?" Ranma and Nabiki asked in shock.

"Dachi-Chan is funny," Midori said giggling, causing her parents to look down at her. "She asks about her plants a lot. And then she answers herself."

Belldandy looked down at the child-goddess and smiled at her.

"Most of the time they do," Belldandy agreed.

"Kodachi is in Nerima," Nabiki said. "How are we hearing her all the way over here?"

"Gods are not the only ones that can access Yggdrasil," Belldandy said. "Humans are capable as well, they just usually do not. You three, however, have made a heavy impression on Miss Kuno. She often thinks towards you three."

"She…prays to us?" Ranma said.

"Some…might call it that," Belldandy said hesitantly. "It is more appropriate to consider it an…appeal for advice. Most of the time, they answer themselves and need only someone to talk to, even someone not present. She was directing such thoughts to Ranma before either of you became deified, actually. However, save for some few, most humans do not notice such things."

"Sort of like making a call to a line that's off the hook," Nabiki asked.

"More like a line that has not yet been activated," Belldandy said. "Humans have the ability, but most do not know that they do. You are gods, you're connected to Yggdrasil constantly by nature. It is hard for you not to notice such things. You'll notice it more clearly now, however."

"And that's not really praying," Ranma said a bit confused.

"It is communication," Belldandy said. "The fact that she is able to reach Yggdrasil unconsciously indicates a degree of respect or even reverence, but not prayer."

"What's the difference then," Nabiki asked.

"Prayer is an act of worship," Belldandy explained simply.

Nabiki thought about asking if Gods weren't supposed to be worshipped, but thought better of it.

Somehow, she didn't need to ask that question.

"Well, we should get back to the daily grind," Nabiki said. "Thanks for explaining…things."

"Yeah," Ranma said. "Though I get this means more work for us."

"But isn't it so great to be helping others?" Belldandy asked cheerfully, disregarding all the work that was part of that.

Ranma and Nabiki nodded with a smile. At one point they wouldn't have been able to really get that sort of feeling.

For Ranma, it was because he'd spent most of his life just existing to train. He was fairly well used to hard work, at least of the physical or combat oriented variety, but not used to that work producing anything for people other than himself.

For Nabiki, she had spent most of her young life trying to avoid work where possible, just providing for her own amusement. It had been a selfish lifestyle that hadn't especially hurt anyone. At least, not that she had realized at first.

In the last year, however, they'd been living mostly for Midori and helping people as they came upon situations. Even if they could still occasionally complain about working on something, it wasn't the same anymore.

And there was a joy to living for the sake of others and knowing that you had helped make someone's life better.

Belldandy waved as the three new gods walked away towards their home and they waved back.

Things should turn out fairly well.

The water swirled again and a beleaguered looking Urd appeared in the park next to Belldandy, watching as the younger deities vanished into the tree-lined paths of the campus.

"Did you tell them about their miko?" Urd asked.

"They asked," Belldandy said, simply. "I explained appeals and connections. I wonder if we should tell them more."

"Eh, too early," Urd said. "The Kuno girl needs to build her psyche up a bit more, and they need to get a few of the basics down before they can do anything deliberate without hurting her. Besides it isn't like anything serious is going down right now."

Belldandy look to Urd doubtfully.

She'd seen the files herself, and thought about the domains of the three gods. Between Shampoo and Kodachi, there seemed to have been an almost…instinctual response to leave protectors behind.

That implied something…bad.

She hoped she was wrong.

****

"Tadaima," a high-pitched voice called out at the door of the Tendo household. "Is there anybody there?"

Akane frowned as she heard the voice. She'd never liked hearing it, to tell the truth. And it was even less so now. The tomboy walked to the door and looked out to see Kodachi standing there in an outfit that last year would have been completely uncharacteristic of her.

It was almost an affront to Akane, actually, Kodachi of all people putting on airs like she had been the past three months.

The Black Rose of Saint Hebereke stood there in her black hakama, which was a new addition to the outfit, and white kimono blouse. Her normal off-set ponytail was held in place by an elegant red ribbon tied into a simple knot and left to hang in an uncomplicatedly beautiful manner.

"What are you doing here?" Akane demanded.

"Akane," Kodachi said, enthusiasm melting somewhat as she recognized the younger Tendo. "I hope that you are well?"

Akane crossed her arms, not fueled by the politeness at all. She knew that Kodachi was fighting the urge to tell her off, and yet the self-proclaimed "miko" wouldn't back off her most recent hypocrisy to do so.

There was a cool wind between the two girls that seemed to be almost physical.

"I'm fine," Akane said in return.

"So I see," Kodachi said, looking her over. "Have you heard back from any schola…"

Akane was shutting her ears out and rolling her eyes at the usual veiled offer of financial aid. Then Kodachi stopped mid sentence and, when Akane turned to see why, seemed to be leveling a confused look at the youngest Tendo's stomach.

"She can't tell can she?" Akane asked herself nervously. "I'm not even showing yet."

"Oh! Kodachi-chan," Kasumi called out, distracting the Kuno away from whatever had drawn her attention, much to Akane's relief. "I didn't mean for you to come straight from the shrine."

"That's perfectly all right, Kasumi-san," Kodachi responded. "I wanted to show you my new hakama anyway."

The girl gave a quick spin around her feet to show off the mentioned apparel. It was, in Akane's opinion, a very un-miko-like action.

"New…oh my! They let you have a black hakama?" Kasumi asked.

"Higurashi-sensei says that it fits my spirit," Kodachi said proudly.

"And that's a good thing," Akane whispered as she got out of the way of the door and started walking into the living room.

"Well, I believe all your flowers are already here," Kasumi said. "We have about three, maybe four hours until the guests start to arrive. Is that enough time for your arrangements?"

"Hai, Kasumi-san," Kodachi said proudly. "I have truly mastered the art of flower arrangement. Three hours is the same as three years for one such as I, OHHH-HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!"

Akane put her head under a cushion at the sound of the laugh, but she knew her elder sister was simply giggling at the display as if Kodachi were a cute girl rather than a raving lunatic.

Why was she the only one that knew Kodachi was a fraud that had bought her way into a shrine?

As Kodachi and Kasumi walked down the hallway, Kasumi looked back down the hallway and then down toward Kodachi.

"Were you and my sister getting along as usual," Kasumi said.

"Hai," Kodachi said, more than a little guiltly. "She seems to bring out the worst in me."

"Well," Kasumi said. "She has a hard time believing that you're serious about this change."

"Lots of people don't believe me," Kodachi said quietly.

"And I am very proud of how well you've kept your temper," Kasumi said.

"Except around Akane," Kodachi noted bitterly.

"It will be okay, Kodachi-Chan," Kasumi said, hugging the smaller girl around the shoulders and patting her on the head. "If you keep at it, they'll see soon enough."

The elder girl paused as Kodachi stopped in mid-stride and looked around uneasily.

"Is there something wrong?" Kasumi asked.

"There's something…" Kodachi started to say. Then she shook her head clear. "Nevermind, I must be imagining things."

****

Across town, the Joketsuzoku were taking the opportunity afforded by a lull in traffic to watch the television in their front room. Shampoo was sitting irritably on a stool next to her mother and trying to ignore Mousse's watching her.

Cologne was behind the bar, between the kitchen, where Mousse was, and the dining area, where Shampoo was. She was in an easy position to watch for either teenager to make a problem.

Which meant she was also in a good position to see as Shampoo stood up straight and, for a brief instant, a wash of fur and cat-features worked over her face and form, only to vanish almost as soon as it came.

"What was that?" Shampoo asked, a bit shocked herself at the sudden feeling.

That was your curse reacting to something dangerous in the area, Cologne thought to herself. Perhaps it was time to tell Shampoo just exactly what Ranma had given her.

****

Gosunkugi looked down at his handiwork and smiled. This would show them all what he was capable of.

Eventually.

The budding warlock frowned as he realized that if he didn't want to be dog-piled by every martial artist in the area, he'd have to do something that was just the exact opposite of what he wanted.

He had to go unnoticed for a while.

The young man growled under his breath at the irony of it. He finally had real power, but it wasn't yet something strong enough that he could stand out on his own and be noticed.

He was still too weak.

Fortunately, Master Happosai was helping with that, and he calmed as he realized that this was just the first step.


	9. Job Hunting

"There's an opening for a waitress," Nabiki noted playfully, looking across the table at Ranma.

The black-haired martial artist looked up from his meditation with Midori to give his wife a hard look. She snickered at the response and looked back down into the paper and read a little further.

"Exotic uniforms," she said with a raising tone, twisting the knife a little deeper. "Right up your alley, Ranma-baby."

Ranma's mouth twitched briefly in response.

"Do you still have the bunny suit?" Nabiki asked.

"Bunny?" Midori asked suddenly, opening her eyes from the "meditation" she modeling off of her father's. "You have a bunny suit, Daddy?"

"No," Ranma said, finally. "That got left in Nerima."

Nabiki continued snickering as she sipped a cup of coffee and continued reading through the retail jobs.

"Awww," Midori said. "Can I have a bunny suit?"

Nabiki and Ranma's images of a "bunny suit" were extensively different from the fuzzy-soft cuteness that filled Midori's and her comment brought an immediate reaction.

Ranma fell backwards to the floor as Nabiki spit out the mouthful of coffee that she'd tried to swallow just a bit too quickly at her own surprise. Midori was up on her little feet and at Nabiki's side patting her firmly on the back in a moment.

"Are you okay, Mommy?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Nabiki said, coughing her throat clear of the rest. "Let me get a towel."

Ranma stood up, shaking his head and pulling the newspaper out from the spilled coffee in an attempt to save it. As he shook it out, he paused, seeing one of the advertisements hidden among the others.

"Here's one for security," he said.

"For what?" Nabiki asked while walking back from the kitchen, Midori following behind her.

"Looks like a club," he said. "The Lunar Pools."

"I didn't see that one," Nabiki said, uncertainly, moving from where she'd been cleaning the table to look at the newspaper. "I'm still having trouble seeing it."

The young goddess frowned as she focused and slowly, the ad came fading into view in a place she'd previously had thought to be just a wasted blanks space. As she looked closer, she noted a glowing series of symbols around the border of the small ad.

"What the heck?" she said. "It's…a magic ad?"

She reasoned quickly that the only reason she could see it now was a combination of Ranma's noticing it and her own magical nature as a goddess.

"Ooo!" Midori said, moving in between her parents to look at the paper. "Where is it? I don't see it."

Ranma frowned and crossed his arms, getting more than a little suspicious at this point. He looked towards the window and noted a pair of cats looking into the building. The fighter flinched briefly out of habit, but he hadn't been afraid of cats since his, what was the word Belldandy had used, deification?

He looked back down at the paper.

"I should at least check it out," the martial artist said. "See what's going on."

"Be careful," Nabiki said, she glanced at the rest of the paper and sighed.

"I want to see the magic ad," Midori said, bouncing up off her feet again.

"Here you go kiddo," Nabiki said, handing it down. "Right there."

"What, there's nothing there," Midori said, disappointed.

"That's the magic," Nabiki said. "Look hard."

"Look…hard?" the little goddess said, squinting almost painfully hard. "Ohhh! I think I see it, there are dancing little dots."

"Umm, you're looking too hard, Midori," Ranma said, sweating a little.

"Huh?" Midori said, confused.

"Try to concentrate on this spot and you'll see it," Nabiki said, pointing. "You don't need to squint your eyes into diamonds. That's how I saw it anyway."

Midori stared at the paper unblinking as she patted the little girl on the head and looked back up at Ranma, a bit seriously.

"Well, I saw it right away," Ranma said. "So, maybe I'm supposed to see it."

"That's sort of what worries me," Nabiki said. "Still…could be good."

"I SEE IT!" Midori said triumphantly.

"That's good, Midori," Ranma said smiling down at Midori as she pointed at the ad.

"Anyway, the rest of this paper is useless," Nabiki sighed. "I think I'll go look at the college and see about financial aid options."

"But aren't we getting classes from you know…" Ranma pointed up.

"Doesn't mean I can't look into things," Nabiki said. "Might be useful."

As they spoke, the door opened up and Ranma and Nabiki both silently turned away from the magic and gods-related discussion.

"What the hel….err…what's going on out there?" Megumi demanded as she came in, changing her wording as she noted Midori reading a coffee-soaked section of want ads.

"Out there?" Nabiki asked as she started walking to the door to see what Megumi was talking about. Glancing over her shoulder and seeing Ranma covering his face, she had a suspicion, which was confirmed as she opened the door.

Cats, cats and more cats. All over the yard and near the street.

"Ranma!" Nabiki called out. "The neighbors are here to talk to you."

Megumi looked over at Ranma, who was flushing bright red at this point. It was obvious that he knew what this was about, but the idea that Ranma could be responsible for a…pilgrimage of cats was…odd, to say the least.

"Cats like Daddy," Midori said.

"Anytime we're in the same place for more than a week or two," Nabiki called out. "They come out like groupies at an idol's hotel."

"Oh kay," Megumi said.

"Do you see the magic ad?" Midori asked then, pointing at the coffee-stained paper.

"Ummm, what?"

Tentatively, the martial artist started to walk to the front door, keeping to the side to stay out of eyesight of the visitors even though he could hear them all whispering at each other.

Nabiki stood at the doorway, waiting with an amused look on her face as Ranma crept to the edge of the door and peeked over the edge.

"For goodness sake," Nabiki said, grabbing the martial artist and pulling him into the doorway. "You don't suffer the neko-ken anymore!"

"That doesn't mean that this is my favorite thing," Ranma whispered through a toothy, nervous smile at the small host of cats. "Hey…"

There was a titanic simultaneous "meow" in response.

"Yeah," Ranma said. "There's…a lot of you…umm," Ranma fumbled with what to say.

"Is the registrar still open at the university?" Nabiki asked Megumi as Ranma was trying to be diplomatic in asking the cats to not congregate in huge numbers all the time.

"I think so, are you thinking of enrolling?" Megumi asked.

"Just checking on financial aid," Nabiki said. "Midori-chan, you want to come to the college with me?"

"Hai!" Midori said happily as she set down the coffee-soaked newspaper…or dropped rather.

Nabiki pointed at the paper and arched an eyebrow.

"Gomen, Mommy," Midori said, picking up the paper and setting it on the table.

"Okay," Nabiki said, leaning down to pick up the little girl. "Let's go!"

Carrying the three-year-old seeming child, Nabiki walked past her husband and then gingerly stepped through a small host of rather confused cats.

"So…you know, people kind look at…what I'm saying is…" Ranma was still fumbling over what to say.

"Just say, 'hello, nice to meet you and see you guys later'," Nabiki suggested.

"Umm…hello…nive to meet you all….see you guys later?" he tried.

The cats sort of glanced at each other and then meowed to each other a bit, talking over what Ranma had said for a bit. Talk of dinner time and "thank goodness he actually started making sense" came to the embarrassed martial artist's ears and then they started meowing at him again and slowly dispersing to their various haunts and homes.

"Okay, that worked," Ranma noted.

"Told you," Nabiki said cheerfully. "I'll be back in a little bit."

"Be careful," Ranma warned the two most important girls in his life.

"We're not going to apply for a security job," Nabiki reminded him playfully.

"You…talk to cats?" Megumi asked, coming up next to Ranma.

"Not willingly," he responded.

****

Nabiki was sitting and waiting for her turn to come up watching as Midori played around in front of her. She was watching the plastic flower display cautiously, real flowers had an uncanny way of appearing spontaneously from such displays when Midori was playing around.

"I don't know what's wrong…" the woman at the counter was saying to the student in front of her. "…the computer says you were granted financial aid."

"But, it's not in my account," the student said. "And I haven't gotten a check. My parents filled out those forms a month ago."

"The computer says that you have…" the woman said, shrugging helplessly.

Nabiki frowned as she watched and, looking again toward Midori, she walked to the counter as the conversation continued.

"Did you check the account the aid was sent to?" she asked.

"The account?" the woman asked.

"Are you thinking someone stole my money?" the student asked.

"You said your parents filled out the forms right?" Nabiki asked, as the woman started checking the account numbers and information.

"Oh, I see," the woman said. "She means that your money was sent to your parent's account. You'll have to speak to them for access."

"There you are," Nabiki said, smiling and turning back towards Midori, but stopped after a moment as she passed another table. "Ah, don't go for the Kyoto Loan…in your situation, I'd try the Shinano Grant, its more money and you invalidate yourself if you take the Kyoto."

"Umm, thank you," the student said, looking toward the financial aid worker helping her.

"No problem," Nabiki noted with a smile.

The Goddess of Provision turned again toward Midori and flinched as she noted that, yep, roses and daffodils were growing out of the fake display. Quick stepping her way over she bent down and smiled at Midori.

"Are you having fun?" she asked.

"Aren't the flowers pretty, Mommy?" she asked.

"Yeah, they are," Nabiki agreed. "Hey, why don't I read you a story while we wait."

"Hai!" the little girl said cheerfully.

Nabiki was leading Midori away from the suspiciously appeared flowers when she found herself nearly walking into a tall man staring at her curiously.

"Excuse me," he said. "Are you a student?"

"Well, I'm thinking about it," she said, picking up Midori cautiously. "As soon as I get a job."

"Would you mind working here?" the man asked hopefully.

Nabiki thought about it….briefly.

"I think I could do that," she said, nodding.

****

Ranma looked from the coffee-soaked slip of paper to the small collection of apartment buildings in front of him. They were fairly small, more a small collection of houses in wall than the towering apartment complexes he was familiar with. There was also a high wall around the small area and the gate to get inside.

Looking around, he walked to the small building marked as the office, he watched as a small family walked out of the gate. He paused as he turned to watch them, there was something…strange about them. And it wasn't something visible.

There was a husband, a wife and a ten-year old son. All of them looked like nothing special on the surface. Something, however, told him there was more to them than there seemed.

Thinking back, he remembered how Nabiki had seen the hidden ad after he'd told it was there. She said that she'd concentrated on the spot he'd shown her and it eventually showed itself.

Concentration and focus was something Ranma understood, especially after the Hiryu Shoten Ha training.

Slowly, the fox-tails came into view. Three of them, two on the woman and one on the boy.

Kitsune?

Now a little more curious, Ranma scanned about the grounds and found a woman in a swimming suit with a shark swimming around her. Further on, he saw man getting mail who had, to Ranma's focusing eyes, a wolfish face and thick fur coat. Next, practicing yoga in front of one of the town-houses, was a red-skinned young-woman in modest exercise wear that belied her horns and tail.

Ranma frowned and walked into the office.

Sure enough, the entire staff inside appeared to have those second images.

"Yes, may I help you?" the grey-skinned woman in front of Ranma asked cheerfully.

"I was answering the ad for a security guard," Ranma noted.

"Oh?" the secretary asked, surprised. "One moment please."

The grey-woman stood up and walked to a door on the far wall and knocked politely.

"What is it?" a woman's voice asked from inside. Ranma was certain he heard a hiss in the voice.

"There's someone hear about the job," the secretary noted.

"Show them in," the woman inside noted.

"You may go in now," the grey woman said, opening the door for Ranma.

The woman he saw behind the next door had greenish look to her and, to Ranma's eyes, a long serpentile body extending from behind the desk she sat behind. The martial artist figured, however, that physically she had a pair of lags, though.

The woman looked up at him and frowned in confusion.

"You came about the security job?" she asked, doubtfully, looking him over.

"I'm tougher than I look," Ranma said, used to the reaction some people had to his youth.

"I'm sure you are," the snake-woman said. "But that is not the issue. The majority of our tenants come from a certain…type of person, and I'm not sure you'd fit in. I'm really not sure how you got here, the ad should have dissuaded…inappropriate individuals."

Ranma frowned at the rather blatant prejudice and was on the verge of commenting on that, but stopped and thought things through for a moment. Something he'd started working on since spending so much time with Nabiki.

"Oh, I know what's going on here," he said. "I have a jusenkyo curse. Had, I control it now."

The woman looked at him blankly, obviously wondering what he was talking about.

"It's uh…" Ranma paused and sighed. "Let me just show you."

The woman quietly gestured for him to go on with it, obviously a bit disappointed and uncertain of what was going on with this person. As Ranma shifted from a tall, black-haired young man into a short, red-haired young woman, her eyes widened as she watched.

"Well…th…that explains how you saw the advertisement," she said, surprised. "But how did you know what sort of place this was?"

"Umm," the God of Change said. "I just…saw the kitsune family and the daemon-girl and the werewolf…and you and the secretary…and…I just have a, umm, sense about…umm…changes."

"Well," the woman said sitting up and taking the interview suddenly much more seriously. "I apologize, let's get on to discussing the job then. Can I have your qualifications?"


	10. Wandering Ward

Kodachi leaned over her table to carefully examine the work so far, calligraphy brush carefully held away from the strip of paper she had been working patiently for the last hour or so.

She glanced from her own work to the scroll her shrine's priest had lent her for practice and then to the book she'd acquired from the collector's bookshop some time ago during a mild fascination with the occult in her junior high years.

All the individual symbols looked correct. Fortitude, fortune, elements, exorcism, holding…yes, there it all was.

The marks of fortitude were the most difficult of the set, though that was understandable. Such spirit-wards were meant for lasting blessings and protections and it took a lot of effort, Kodachi was finding, to even draw the symbols correctly. She hadn't yet tried to put anything in the way of energy into the ward yet.

In truth, had she been anybody else, she'd probably have been a bit worried about trying to do that.

The miko-in-training was supposed to be practicing basic exorcism wards and funeral moneys. Five formulas in all.

Simple matters indeed.

The Black Rose had made two of each, and wasn't yet certain they worked, before she had gotten bored and went looking for the old tome. If simply repeat practice on these basics was supposed to be helpful, then certainly something more advanced would do wonders for her understanding.

The girl looked about cautiously, not noticing as the sleeve of her school jacket brushed over the marks of holding, and then, with a slightly superior smile, she took a deep breath and settled herself into the stance she'd been taught for gathering energy from around her.

Eyes closed and anticipating her success, she bent downward and bringing her hands together, proceeded to push her spirit into the work.

****

"So you've got jobs then," Megumi said cheerfully as she and the Tanakas walked down the street.

"I'm working at the university financial aid department," Nabiki said. "And Ranma sounds like he's got a security job at an apartment complex."

"Yeah," Ranma said, nodding. "We should be good to help you for a while it seems."

"And that's why we're celebrating!" Megumi declared happily.

"Yay!" Midori shouted along with her.

"Shouldn't we wait until we were a bit more solid?" Ranma asked.

"That's not the way you celebrate," Megumi protested.

"Celebrate good times," Midori agreed happily. "Are we going to McDonalds?"

"No, better!" Megumi said.

"There's better than McDonalds?" Midori asked.

"Well, there's…anything else, really," Nabiki muttered to herself in amusement.

Midori paused a moment and looked back to her parents with a worried expression.

"Something wrong, Midori?" Ranma asked, bending down.

"Dachi-chan is doing something that'll hurt," she said quietly.

"Who's Dachi-chan?" Megumi asked. "Imaginary friend?"

"That's…" Nabiki speech stopped mid-sentence as she started to feel what Midori already had. "That's a way to put it."

Ranma could feel it already too, and was leaning forward on one hand as he listened to Nabiki try to cover for the situation. The other goddesses were right, this connection thing was a lot clearer now that he knew what it was. He could feel what Kodachi was doing, she was tapping her chi, but what she was trying to do was a lot beyond her own abilities.

She wasn't going to have enough and she couldn't stop.

He closed his eyes and tried to think of a solution.

"Dachi is a friend of ours," Nabiki said obviously concerned. "We haven't seen her in a while. She needs to sometimes. Why don't you give her a call, Ranma, see if she needs anything, Megumi and I will take Midori and find a table."

Ranma slowly stood up and nodded.

"I think you'll Need to take things slow," Nabiki said as she gathered Megumi and Midori to leave Ranma where he was. "You know she can get out of her depth pretty fast."

Ranma nodded again and waited as long as he felt he could for Nabiki to get Megumi and Midori clear. He didn't have exactly much time, though. Kodachi was going to reach the end of her safe ability quickly. His first impression was to give her as much energy as he could, but he'd heard what Nabiki said.

Nabiki had a better sense for what was needed most of the time, even if a lot of the how was his purview. Plus, it had reminded him that Kodachi's chi was much smaller than his had been.

His god-marks started to flare as he let his energy move down the connection towards Kodachi, just enough to keep her inner-most reserves untouched and doing anything lasting to herself. The young-man felt a trickle from Nabiki as well, and his daughter's worry was there too.

The urge to help Kodachi more forcefully was still there, and Ranma's own concern was about to get the better of his respect for Nabiki's feelings on the matter when the drain on the Kuno finally stopped and he could feel a mix of weary relief and prideful accomplishment before the Black Rose passed out, her life-force tired but still strong.

Ignoring the people that were still somewhat staring at him, Ranma wiped the sweat off of his forehead and then jogged down the street to the restaurant he'd seen the rest of his family and his friend had headed for.

"Is your friend all right?" Megumi asked as he joined the table with them.

"She'll be fine," Ranma said. "She was just trying something a bit over her head."

Megumi looked about and noted that neither Midori nor Nabiki seemed that surprised, and both had been much more relaxed even before Ranma had rejoined them. She frowned and then shook her head, something to deal with later.

"All right!" she said. "Back to the celebration then!"

****

Kodachi woke up the next morning, or at least she thought it was morning, with a splitting headache. She blinked and looked around, trying to remember just when she had fallen asleep.

"The last thing I remember was…" Kodachi muttered, looking about and down toward her work table and the strip of blessed paper marked with special inks before her.

Smiling broadly she lifted up the strip and bounded out of her room in quickly curtailed triumph as her head protested. Walking, near hobbling, much more sedately, she worked her way out of the Kuno mansion and made a bee-line for her shrine.

The majority of the headache was gone by the time she reached the shrine and presented her accomplishment to her shrine's priest.

"Higurashi-sensei!" she called out. "You shall not believe what I have accomplished, with the help of the kami, of course."

She beamed as she presented the strip of paper before her like a puppy with a stick.

The woman with her long, dark hair turned to look at Kodachi and then looked down at the spirit ward in the girl's hands and twitched as she saw what was written there.

"There are signs here that you can't safely empower yet, Kodachi-chan," she said firmly, also noting the smudged holding symbol. Even empowered this thing would stay in one place long. "Half of these did not come from the scroll I gave you access to."

"Well…I did make it," Kodachi said.

The woman felt she could take a moment and see if there was any power to the object, but as Kodachi was currently standing in front of her and not dead, she didn't feel it was necessary.

"But…" Kodachi protested, feeling a bit smaller. "I checked."

"Now, don't get me wrong Kodachi-chan," the woman said. "Being able just to draw most of these symbols is an accomplishment for someone of your experience, but you're damn lucky you didn't try to empower this."

"But…" Kodachi said, wondering if she should mention that she had tried. "I did."

"I'm sure you think you did," the female priest, currently dressed in everyday clothing similar to Kodachi, said. "But watch."

The woman turned and dramatically stuck the ward to a nearby wall and then watched as it so very anti-climatically fell to the ground, gliding gently all the way down.

"See," Higurashi-sensei noted. "Now, I want you to keep practicing with those simple wards. But, I think we might test you soon and then I'll teach you some exercises to build up your spirit."

"But…" Kodachi said. "Ahh! My ward."

The young miko moved forward to dive at the piece of paper she'd spent so long working on, only to be forced to watch as the wind carried it away.

"Damn it," Kodachi's teacher noted. "I was hoping to keep that, it was a damn good plan."

Kodachi beamed at that praise, then the woman turned about to stare at Kodachi through narrowed eyes.

"By the way, Kodachi-chan, where'd you find the other signs and symbols?" she asked. "I can't be having one of my mikos trying to kill herself again."

****

Gosunkugi smiled the third of his spirit-bound statues started to stand up and walk over to join the other three such creations. It wouldn't be long before he'd bound a spirit into every one of the statuary pieces in this little warehouse. Then he could start using them to quietly perform other duties.

Yes, this was a small step, but it was a definite step toward power.

First a few small rituals that build power toward his corner as the book and his master suggested. Rituals to cloud the area and give him the cover he'd need to do anything bigger and set up his public rise.

He wondered, should he admit to being a growing warlock as he worked to take over Nerima, or perhaps just a budding businessman?

Maybe yakuza.

He would want to be feared and respected regardless.

As the young warlock considered his brightening, or perhaps darkening, future, he failed to note as, through a drafty window, the wind blew in what appeared to him to be a simple scrap of paper.

The scrawled on piece of paper smacked right into one of the four moving statuettes and almost immediately the dark-light behind the things stone eyes vanished. The wind was already picking up the paper, and smacking it into the remaining statuettes and then, it was carried on out through another window.

As the fourth of his statuettes stopped moving a fumbled to a fall, Gosunkugi finally noticed that something had gone wrong.

"What the hell?" he demanded, walking over to examine the fallen statuette.

Grumbling as he couldn't find anything wrong, the warlock turned to the other three and pointed to the one in front of him.

"Bring it back to the circle," he said irritably.

As the statues refused to do anything, he grew more irritated and walked over to poke at the things until her realized that none of them were bound with spirits any longer either.

Confusion on his face, he scratched his head and walked back to the warehouse.

"Each of those took my a day to animate," he complained. "What did I do wrong?"


	11. Developments

"S..stop right there!" the shaky guard demanded as the stone statue lumbered toward him.

The gun the man carried was already empty of bullets, small pieces of metal that had merely bounced off the approaching bronze statuette. However, he was still wielding the weapon and pointing at the creature, pulling the trigger repetitively.

Three other security guards lay sprawled around the shattered glass door that the statue had walked through.

Now, it was slowly working its way to the last guard.

The man finally turned, meaning to break into a run for the back door, and found himself tripping over his legs into a painful fall.

The loud clanky steps came closer and closer.

The man closed his eyes as the statue's hands started to reach downward for him.

A loud metallic crashing sound came to his ears and suddenly the awful presence of the monster was no longer standing right over her.

The man cracked open his eyes to see a long, swishing purple tail waving over him for a brief moment before the owner of the tail dashed away and slammed into the statue as it tried to rise to a standing position.

Knocked off balance again, the monster fell backwards. The cat-girl atop of him smashed her foot down into the statue's knee, bending the bronze leg back as if it were taffy.

The loss of a limb structurally capable of holding its weight left the bronze statue as open as a public park to the purple-furred cat-girl. As the guard watched her systematically take it apart, he stood up and backed himself against a wall.

Then the battle was over and the girl was walking with an clipped stride that radiated annoyance. As she walked, the fur and cat features faded away. She made one casual glance toward the guard before picking up a delivery box and mounting a bicycle to ride away.

Unnoticed to either, a fluttering strip of paper smacked into the head of the statue and then fluttered on past as the evil light in the animated bronze's eyes snuffed out.

****

The bicycle skidded over the rooftops with a less than cheerful amazon atop it as she returned from another fruitless night of searching for where Ranma had left with Nabiki.

She knew she wouldn't find them with these little trips of hers and often wondered why she didn't take off for a longer journey.

Shampoo thought back to the last time she had seen Ranma and felt a shiver.

The sort of body control he'd displayed in that instant was…ridiculous.

It was like she was a child in her first training session against a master. Even when Mousse joined the fight, the balance of power had not changed perceptibly. She'd tried to convince herself that Ryouga's arrival and the sudden triggering of their Jusenkyo curses were a sign that Ranma had felt challenged, but she couldn't do that.

He'd merely been in a hurry.

The most intimidating thing of all, however.

Her curse.

He'd changed her curse.

No, he'd added to her curse.

And he hadn't cast a spell…he'd just…done it.

Great-Grandmother had said that they needed to talk about the curse, but Shampoo had been avoiding that talk. So far, Grandmother had been letting her get away from.

She didn't want to know the extent of what Ranma had done to her.

She didn't want to know what he was capable of.

The bike came to a skidding stop as she came to a realization.

Great-Grandmother should have never taught Ranma the Hiryu Shoten Ha.

The martial artist couldn't see it himself given his poor education, but Ranma had an amazing instinct for understanding the interplay of action and reaction. Until the Hiryu Shoten Ha and the Soul of Ice, Ranma had only had his own chi and body to use for resources.

Living beings, even the strongest, were tiny spark of living chi against the background of the whole pattern of life.

Shampoo had seen the battle of Jusendo.

Ranma had taken his tiny spark and very deliberately became the proverbial butterfly flapping its wings.

Only Ranma's hurricane happened immediately and around him.

Only Gods and Demons understood how to interact with the world so directly. Most Mortals that reached such such a connection with the world at large became unstable and dangerous and eventually destroyed themselves.

The possibilities destroyed their minds.

That much power.

Ranma had found the power and then put it away as if it were a training sword.

That much power and he saw it as just a tool.

Shampoo knew what Ranma was capable of.

She should have let Grandmother tell her.

She could have ignored being told.

Shampoo looked back over her shoulder.

She knew why she didn't seriously seek out Ranma.

****

Ranma finished out the kata smoothly and watched with a smile as Midori clumsily imitated the motion.

After standing up from a previous fall. At a three year old body, she didn't quite have the right body to really try some of his katas.

It was hard to believe she was only a year old sometimes.

Midori hadn't had another quick growth spurt for a while now, maybe she was going to start aging more normally now. In any case, she didn't have much more physical development to reach before he could really start teaching her the Art.

Before that, he wanted to get some real lessons in how to teach a student.

He most certainly did not want a daughter who was as much of a basketcase as he was at times.

As for his own ability, he'd improved a lot over the last year. That fight with Shampoo and Mousse had been applications of his experience at the time directed by newly accurate senses.

If he'd used his established techniques, he could have had Shampoo unconscious in the first moments and been gone before Mousse arrived. But he hadn't wanted to do that, and the discovery of his new senses had been a very heavy distraction.

The bit with triggering the jusenkyo curses, he still wasn't sure how he'd done that.

Probably something to do with his domain.

Over the last year, he'd been establishing some basic understandings of his new senses and correcting the imperfections he consequently found in his martial forms.

Of course, his first priority was to reach what he'd consider battle-ready.

That had taken three weeks.

Then had come the task of making sure he went over all the basics, anticipating having to teach in the near future.

"This is fun!" Midori called out.

Ranma interrupted himself and reached down to ruffle his daughter's violet hair with a smile.

"Yeah, squirt," he said, vaguely remembering when the Art was just fun to him.

So, how to keep it fun, and make sure she understands the responsibility at the same time.

And how to avoid keeping neither.

Though Ranma had a lot of experience with what not to do in watching his father.

****

Nabiki watched as the next customer came into line and she scanned over the young-man. A smirk played at her mouth as she realized that she had just characterized the student as young when he was probably two to three years older than she was.

She took in the clothes as he sat down. Well tailored and very well maintained, but beginning to show a bit of wear and tear. The t-shirt was custom-printed and displaying an obvious in-joke to an anime fanfiction she was familiar with. Dark circles under the eyes, and showing a bit of recent weight loss.

The laptop bag he set prominently into view was top-quality with lots of extra pockets and a number of the more impractical options. More telling was the small emblem on the bag, which indicated it had been purchased by someone with employee benefits and wanted to display they had employee benefits.

He was used to having money, but had recently lost some of his resources. Probably his father or mother were laid off from a…no she corrected that analysis as she watched his hands beat out a pattern.

He had been laid off.

Very young to be a returning graduate.

The shirt implied a bit of immaturity. The tailored clothes on top of the t-shirt, and the laptop, indicated that he thought highly of himself. He wanted to show that he worked hard and deserved everything that he gave himself. He wasn't just some kid born with money.

He was exceptional.

He'd worked hard to get out of college early. Took the extra hours, took the summer classes. Took the internships for practical experience through college.

A genius of hard-work, as the anime character on his shirt would have said.

Probably was starting post-graduate classes he'd considered useless before getting out on the playing field. He was looking to beef up his resume and get back into the game.

Probably he hadn't managed the exceptional feats he'd expected of himself.

As he finished settling himself, Nabiki was finishing finding his file based on that profile.

Five, maybe six seconds.

"Hello, how may I help you?" Nabiki asked, turning to look at him politely.

Behind her a manager had noticed her pre-emptive file calling and was moving to make a comment that she shouldn't be starting a file maintenance when she was about to help another student.

"Yes," the young-man said. "Yoshida Sano, I'm an alumni, graduated…a year and a half ago."

The manager was looking at the file as the young man introduced himself and his mouth hung open in shock as the names matched.

He was also blinking as Nabiki, eyes not looking at the screen was maneuvering her trackball to several bookmarked locations, the first thing she had done when setting up her workstation settings, to call a series of open internships and computer programming centric scholarships.

"All right," she said with a smile, not the shark one, but one borrowed from Kasumi and rarely worn. "What can I do for you?"

She wasn't trying to bruise these kids' egos, after all.

Behind her, the manager, not the one that had hired her, felt a small twinge of intimidation.

****

"I'm home," Nabiki said stretching out and feeling far from tired.

From what she could tell, the electronic transactions themselves didn't count as handling money, but the charge cards did. In addition, there were checks and cash transactions carried out as well.

She hadn't even needed a break.

Nabiki Tanaka came through the entrance and found her husband and daughter, hard to think of her as a stepdaughter after all this time, practicing some of the lighter katas in the living room with the furniture pushed aside for the moment for more room.

"How're you doing?" Nabiki asked as she moved to the couch and leaned against it to watch.

"We're doing pretty good," Ranma said, smiling.

"We're having fun!" Midori declared proudly as she struggled through a change over until she tripped over her feet and toppled to the floor with a giggle.

"Looks like it," Nabiki said smiling. "But, Megumi'll be home soon. Sooo."

"Yeah," Ranma said. "Let's put the room back together."

"Awww," Midori said, a bit disappointed.

"Come here kiddo," Nabiki said reaching over the couch to grab at Midori and then bring her back and set her on the couch.

A moment later she was giggling as Ranma pulled the couch back into place and she got a quick ride. The rest of the furniture was put into place as Midori settled into the couch.

Once they finished, Nabiki and Ranma sat down on the couch with Midori in between them. The TV came to life then as someone found a remote and the three set out to watch some Bayside Police reruns.

Ranma's arm comfortably wrapped around Nabiki as she leaned carefully into him over Midori, giving the child a secure nook between the two adults. Slowly, as time went on, the napping feeling crept up on Midori, try as she might, it came over her and she fell asleep between her parents.

Nabiki lifted her head off Ranma's shoulder to look down at Midori for a moment before leaning back against Ranma, enjoying the arm around her as she reached up to play with his hair.

The two were distracted with each other and didn't hear the door opening to the front of the house.

"So," Nabiki said quietly, not wanting to wake up Midori. "When did this happen?"

"I don't know," Ranma said, his fingers wrapping with Nabiki's.

"This makes things so much more complicated," she sighed in apparent resignation.

There was a dichotomy between the tone of the words and the mood ambient about the couple. If a person where to listen through a recording or something similar, the discussion would have sounded like a cold discussion of some inconvenience.

Watching the scene, however, the affection between the two was obvious. There were small smiles on their faces, warm and quiet, but mixed with a little worry.

"Yeah," Ranma agreed with Nabiki. "Should have been more careful."

"Nothing we can do about it," Nabiki sighed, snuggling in a little closer. "What's done is done."

"So how do we handle this?" Ranma asked.

"I think we've already been handling it," Nabiki noted with a twist of her normal sarcasm.

Both flushed at almost identical moments, eyes flicking to the corners of the room.

Both turned towards each other, looking a bit hesitant before bending towards each other. For a brief moment, lips touched and anybody watching the scene, restrained tones and words or not, could not have helped but to feel the heat brimming from the emotions included.

Lips pressed together and then parted, a simple, chaste kiss that still sent both god and goddesses minds and souls whirling with passions that only seemed to display through the most minute of expression changes.

And when the flash washed over them, momentarily blinding their eyes, the feelings didn't dissipate, though their was the addition of a bit of chagrin at having been caught unaware by Megumi.

"This picture will make the best postcard for you guys to send to people you know," she said proudly. "You looked sooo cute."

Meanwhile Midori started to blink awake herself and the routines of life started to settle in.

Of course, that didn't change the things that were.


	12. Party Forming

Megumi watched, considering, as a cat padded its way up to Ranma in the back yard. The fact that he flinched out of his exercising when it meowed at him was amusing but beside the point of why Megumi was watching him. The fact that cats talked to him was…well, just rather strange.

And it wasn't the only strange thing about the couple she roomed with.

Midori's humming and singing in and of itself was perfectly normal, but Megumi had started to notice that the garden they'd been getting compliments on starting tended to spring up when she was playing around places.

When Midori had first bought the place, she'd heard that she might have to get someone to remove the sakura tree in the front as it was dying. Now the tree was thriving, and was even blooming early.

The tree was one of Midori's preferred play areas in the front yard.

Nabiki's oddities were not so obvious. She was, in many ways rather normal and average in personality, and nothing inherently preternatural seemed to happen around her. The only thing was an unusual tendency toward whims to pick up things that later turned out to be useful.

If Megumi thought to ask Nabiki about why she was buying, say, an aluminum funnel, then the typical response was "just in case" though she rarely said what the just in case was. In the funnel's case, it was apparently "just in case Keiichi needs to put oil in his bike while visiting and has no oil filter."

Nabiki liked playing games with people's minds, though. So, it could have just been that she kept the oddball items around for the moment they'd be useful in someway just to confuse the heck of people like Megumi.

Still, that last event reminded the Morisato girl of the message she'd received earlier that day. She walked out to interrupt the conversation Ranma was having with the cat, something about wanting to know where the good tuna was.

Ranma seemed as confused on the subject matter as Megumi did.

"Hey, Ranma," Megumi said. "Where're Nabiki and Midori?"

The martial artist looked away from the cat for a moment and then back down.

"Gimme a moment," he said, scratching his head. "Nabs is out shopping for some

CDs for Midori. Maybe one of those little digital things."

"An I-Pod?" Megumi said.

"Yeah," Ranma said. "That. We're supposed to get her music if we can."

"Oh," Megumi said. "Expose them to the arts early and stuff. Beethoven and Mozart and stuff?"

"I dunno," Ranma said. "I'm not much up on pop idols."

Megumi scrunched her brow together and started to explain classical music, but thought better of it. Too much to say and too little knowledge of depths of ignorance she'd be stepping into.

"You think they'll be back soon?" Megumi asked. "Belldandy said the Nekomi Motor Club are going to be over at the temple for a meeting and were wondering if you'd like to come over."

"A college party?" Ranma asked. "With Midori?"

"Well, the more rowdy guys graduated a while back," Megumi said. "It'll probably be a pretty laid back meeting."

"Belldandy told ya?" Ranma asked, considering.

"Yeah," Megumi said, equally surprised. "If it had been Urd, I wouldn't even have mentioned it. But Belldandy would probably have to be pretty sure that nothing inappropriate is going to happen if she suggests it."

"That's what I thought to," Ranma said. "I'll talk to Nabiki about it."

"Okay," Megumi said, turning to walk back inside. "I'm going to be doing some homework for a bit, probably head over there in two or three hours."

"All right," Ranma said looking back down at the cat. "I don't eat out of garbage cans, I'm sorry. No, I haven't been able to afford to go out to eat much. There's a barbeque place down the street. Can't ya ask another cat?"

Megumi rolled her eyes and wondered again what was going on with her roommates.

****

Megumi found herself walking with the Tanakas to the temple. There had been a brief discussion between Ranma and Nabiki, but eventually they'd come to the idea of going to the meeting.

Megumi had more than a little suspicion that they had reasons for visiting other than just for the fun of it.

Keiichi's sister had definitely noticed the markings that the Tanakas shared with the Norns and was also aware that weird stuff happened around Keiichi and Belldandy's home as much as it did around her new place.

Though, she had to admit, that her weird seemed to be a much more mild variation of the weird that happened in her brother's life.

"So how're your new jobs," Megumi asked.

"Mine's going very well," Nabiki said. "Ranma seemed to have a bit of trouble last night."

"Anything serious?" Megumi asked.

"Animal control," Ranma said, crossing his arms over his chest, and his daughter's legs for that matter. Up on his shoulders Midori copied the gesture.

"What, they were looking for stray cats or something?" Megumi asked.

"Something," Ranma said. "Took me an hour to get rid of them."

"And he did it without breaking any bones, too," Nabiki said, snickering.

"Hey," Ranma said, though he probably knew it was just teasing. "I don't fight people that don't ask for it and can't take it."

"I like Daddy's new job," Midori declared in a sing-song tone.

"So what's going on with this meeting thing?" Nabiki asked.

"Just another concept machine," Megumi said. "They're running an all night planning session on how to approach it."

"What's the concept?" Nabiki asked.

"They're trying to improve on the motorcycle from the Dark Knight movie," the older girl said.

"Isn't that just a motor-cycle?" Ranma asked.

"Well, yeah, but the engines are in the wheels and there's a lot of work to go into making them operate together," Megumi said. "Like I said, it isn't going to be that rowdy. Though it might get strange considering some of the Motor Club people…and Skuld."

"Skuld?" Nabiki said. "Is she allowed to help out?"

"Well," Megumi said. "She's very smart for a kid, post-grad level herself really, but she has a tendency to...well…go overboard is the only way I can explain it. If Keiichi is there to reign her in, she's very useful. Otherwise, she starts trying to build stuff outside our resources."

"Any reason to call us over?" Ranma asked.

"Because these things are usually fun," Megumi said. "I'll probably be helping the Motor Club, but they'll be snacks or movies or games for everybody else."

"Sounds good," Nabiki said.

****

"Welcome!" Belldandy declared proudly as Megumi and her roommates walked into the temple grounds and started up the path toward the main building. "Megumi, Keiichi and Sora are in the main room, I think they're already drafting basic design plans."

"Right," Megumi said, moving past. "Catch ya'll later."

Belldandy watched her dash on and then turned a friendly smile toward the young gods.

"Good evening," she said. "I'm glad you could come."

"Hiya, Belldandy-san," Midori declared, waving, from her perch atop her father's shoulders.

"Hello, Midori-chan," Belldandy said.

"Yeah, it sounds like a good break from things," Nabiki said.

"Well, we do have some of our own work to attend to," Belldandy noted.

"Yeah, we figured there might be something," Ranma said. "What's up?"

"We thought we could discuss spells and programs," Belldandy noted. "Oh, and Urd has organized an itemized list of the promises you are currently bound to."

Ranma and Nabiki groaned slightly.

"Don't worry," Belldandy said. "I'm sure this will not prove problematic."

"Are we safe discussing that stuff while everybody is here?" Nabiki asked.

"Actually, Urd has a solution for that as well," Belldandy said, and her face looked a little doubtful.

****

"And here it is!" Urd declared showing off a brightly colored hard-bound book titled "Gods and Goddesses". "The best thing to hit the shelves since they printed the thirty-three recipes for a philosopher's stone!"

"That looks sort of like one of those role playing games," Nabiki noted questionably.

"Indeed it does," Urd said, nodding. "And here's the best part:" she leaned forward conspiratorially, "it's not a lie."

"Ohhhh," Nabiki said with a smile similar to Urd's for a moment.

"Now," Urd said. "On to characters."

With that, Urd passed out a stream of papers to Ranma, Nabiki and then Midori. Belldandy smiled at them pleasantly as she came into the room from the kitchen with snacks.

"Now," Nabiki said, looking over her "character sheet" "What do these classes and categories mean?"

"Classes describe your power level and Category describes whether you're licensed to operate on earth or not," Urd explained.

"So, what are the classes and categories then?" Ranma asked.

"Well, there are first class gods, like Belldandy," Urd said, directing a hand toward the serene middle-sister of the Norns. "They have the most expansive responsibilities and also tend to have a lot of power and control over that power."

"What are you?" Nabiki asked, indicating Urd.

"Urd is a second class goddess," Belldandy said. "In her case, she has a good deal of potential and power, but less control. Alternately, it could indicate someone with a great deal of control, but not much power yet."

Nabiki and Ranma looked down at their sheets again.

"And third class?" Ranma asked.

"Beginning gods and goddesses, such as you," Urd said. "Gods and goddesses that have recently reincarnated, such as our sister. It means your power is within mortal limits and your region of responsibility is local to wherever you happen to be."

"Within mortal limits?" Nabiki repeated.

"Yes," Belldandy said. "Initially, a divine nature does not imbue much more power than you already had to begin with. You've probably noticed that yourselves."

"Yeah," Ranma agreed. "So, ya gotta earn the rest of the power?"

"Yes," Belldandy said.

Ranma nodded with a little smirk.

So, he still had to work for what he could do.

That suited him just fine.

"What's that?" Midori asked, pointing down at the paper she was holding. "Af…fili..a shun? I don't have one?"

Nabiki stared at Midori as the little goddess displayed again that she was, in many ways, more mature than even her physical development.

"Oh," Belldandy said. "The heavenly department you are part of. Currently, you only have tentative associations as you have not officially taken part in any of the departments. You shall have one as you grow older Midori-chan."

"Okay," Midori said, nodding and smiling at the kind goddess.

"So, I've got…the Earth Assistance Center?" Nabiki asked.

"That's right," Urd said. "And it's going to make your superior Peorth. If you make that relationship official."

"Oh, won't that be wonderful?" Belldandy said.

"And Turn a log?" Ranma asked.

"Tir na Nog," Urd corrected. "Protectors of magical, terrestrial creatures."

"So…" Ranma said. "Would that be like a bunch of shape-shifters living in a small apartment complex?"

"Exactly," Belldandy noted. "I'd also note, Ranma that the Valkyries have shown interest in you."

"What's that?" Ranma asked, looking to where that was listed.

"That's the war-goddesses," Urd said.

"What?" Ranma sputtered. "Aren't there any war gods, as in male?"

"Several," Belldandy noted. "But the Valkyries are the most elite unit of battle-trained deities. Given your dual-nature, I would at least consider it."

"Would I have to be a girl while I'm doing my Valkryie stuff," Ranma asked.

"What's the matter, Ranma," Nabiki asked. "Don't think your woman enough?"

The martial artist sputtered at Nabiki in response.

"And now," Urd said as she reached over to turn the papers off the first page. "We come to the promises."

Both Gods and Goddesses sweated nervously as they noted the number of promises they had acquired.

****

Megumi peeked in at the gather in the other room and noted them sitting around a table with a role-playing game and some papers.

"Well," she said. "I guess that's something to do…"

Still, she had been hoping on catching them at something that might explain the weirdness of their existences.


	13. Promising Ventures

"Now," Belldandy said. "The only promises listed are the ones that accompanied a conscious determination to do something for the other person. Usually such accompanies a phrase like 'I promise' but it is the serious determination to accomplish the task that is important."

"Let's see," Urd said. "Shall we start with the obvious ones?"

She picked up a pack of papers herself and started at the top of the list.

"Ranma: 'We'll make sure the schools continue, that's a promise'" Urd said in a mildly mocking manner. "Which is moderately problematic since you need to get the whole Tendo school out of Soun Tendo pass both that and the Saotome on to a student or two who will make sure the arts continue."

"Well," Nabiki said. "At least we have a bit more time to get that done."

"Corollary to the previous promise," Urd said, voice rising with a smirk. "Nabiki: 'Yes, I'm sure you'll all live to see the day when eager little Anything Goes cadets are walking around the streets.'"

"Ahh," Nabiki said, embarrassed. "Did I say that?"

"You do have to be careful of making jokes when making promises," Belldandy warned unnecessarily.

"Next obvious one," Urd said. "Nabiki: 'We'll be back to see how everybody's doing as soon as it's safe for Midori.' That one you might be able to finish fairly soon."

"Yeah," Ranma was saying. "I was thinking about peeking sometime."

"I do believe that is a good idea," Belldandy noted.

"Something up?" Nabiki asked Belldandy.

"Not that the files are telling us," the middle goddess said. "But the two of you left certain…contingencies in Nerima behind you, and I respect the instincts of my peers."

"Excuse me?" Ranma asked. "What's that mean?"

"One thing at a time," Urd said. "More promises to get through."

"Right," Nabiki said, though she was eager to know exactly what the first class goddess was talking about when she said "contingencies." "So, what's next?"

"Ranma: 'This is your only warning,'" Urd said. Everybody looked toward Ranma.

"Shampoo," he explained simply.

"Right," Nabiki said.

"Oh dear," Belldandy noted. "Was that really necessary?"

Ranma put a protective arm around his daughter and looked particularly grim.

"I suppose it was," Belldandy said, sighing.

"Hopefully that one never has to be fulfilled," Urd noted as she moved to the next one.

"Ranma: 'I promise not to leave the toilet seat down anymore,'" Urd said, glancing to Ranma again, who just shrugged. "Nabiki: 'I promise, Ranma, you've got nothing I haven't seen before.' Interesting wording there."

"Out of context!" Nabiki sputtered, flushing brightly.

"I'm sure," Urd noted, smirking.

"What's the big deal about rental DVDs?" Ranma asked.

"Oh, looks like you'll have to educate him later," the "cupid of love" said with a snicker. Nabiki's mouth twitched as she reached over to cover Midori's ears.

"Urd," Belldandy said in a mildly lecturing tone.

"Moving on," Urd noted swiftly.

The number of seemingly day to day common promises to each other, most of which would not have been considered heavenly promises when spoken by friends or even roommates, was large. Urd recognized the character of such serious appreciation and respect for another being. She'd peeked at Belldandy's promise file since living with Keiichi and compared it to other goddesses who were merely dating some boyfriend or another.

Still, she couldn't help teasing, and she began to comment and remind that there were many, there were other, more significant promises.

"Nabiki: 'If we find your daughter, we'll tell her you want to see her."

"Ranma: 'Yeah, if you need help with a show or something, you can call me and I'll help ya out.'"

"Ranma: 'You'll make it, and I'll be there to see you get the trophy.'"

"Nabiki: 'When you make it, we'll be there to buy your first CD.'"

"Ranma: 'If I see a ghost, I'll tell you."

"Ranma: 'I'm sure you'll get a better job.'"

For about half an hour they had been highlighting what seemed to be the more serious of the promises. Well, at least Nabiki was highlighting them, occasionally reminding Ranma to do so as well.

For his part, Ranma hadn't forgotten most of his promises, having learned that lesson with Ryouga and the bread feud, among other things.

He just hadn't realized that he'd made so many promises.

"Married couple promise number three-thousand-fifty-three," Urd noted, rolling her eyes.

Belldandy had half-given up on convincing Urd to stop making comments and Ranma and Nabiki had stopped reacting as strongly sometime after the fifteenth exaggerated commentaries.

There weren't more than a couple hundred promises total, family oriented or otherwise.

"Midori: 'You can have a dinosaur pet! I'll get you one," Urd read. "Ran…wait a minute."

Silence reigned.

It was a long reign, full of questions that filtered visibly through the air, the messengers of the great king confusion.

Ranma and Nabiki blinked and looked down at Midori as that last promise was read out loud.

"Are you sure you read that properly, Urd?" Belldandy asked.

"'You can have a dinosaur pet…'" Urd reread.

Silence reigned a second time.

"But…" Ranma said. "Huh??"

"Ummm," Nabiki said. "We're supposed to make sure that happens?"

"Apparently so," Belldandy noted.

"And it'll be purple like my hair!" Midori said smiling broadly.

****

Tarou frowned as he sat atop a warehouse and looked out over Furinkan-cho.

Coming back to Nerima only to find that Ranma Saotome had flown the coop was a rather unwelcome surprise.

He'd actually been hoping to rope the martial artist into his most recent plan to get his name changed, but if the jerk was gone, he wasn't sure what he'd do. It would mean coming up with a new plan.

The cursed fighter frowned and considered his original plan. It had been rather simple. He was going to try to spark an alliance with Ranma and a few of the other locals against Happosai and push the little creep into a corner where he didn't have anywhere to go, no panties to steal or glomps to make.

And once he was at his lowest, then Tarou would offer to switch sides if only the freak changed his name.

Unfortunately, the linch pin was getting Ranma since he was the easiest way to get the martial artist population moving off its collective butt.

That, and he probably would keep the other martial artists from tearing his hide off too badly in the aftermath. As arrogant as he was, Tarou had no illusions about how much power it would take to force Happosai to ground and what that combined amount of force could do to him.

The success of such a coalition and betrayal hinged on getting someone to lead it who had a highly honed sense of mercy and compassion in combination with an incredible degree of skill and the ability to apply vast amounts of force to insure his will. He needed a person who would understand the reasons behind the betrayal.

In otherwords, a ridiculously powerful sucker.

All because his enemy was almost ludicrously powerful and cunning.

He was considering this as he looked down into the streets and saw something rather curious.

Akane Tendo, in one of the parks pacing about as if in a quandary of indecision.

Pantyhose found Akane rather interesting by nature of her connection with Ranma Saotome. Given that Ranma was no longer around, had been gone for a year, in fact, he really hadn't expected to see Akane still around the town, maybe he should have hung around a little to hear more of the story from Ukyou.

The woman's eyes flickered occasionally toward a set of shops across the street. It took a few minutes but Tarou eventually figured out what exactly was attracting the youngest Tendo's attention.

A clinic, one of the few where a legal abortion could be obtained. Something Tarou could tell based on the signs held by a small scattering of protestors milling about.

The realization of what she was trying to decide on lowered Tarou's opinion of the girl from the gutters where his respect for most people lay. Among his faults was an adherence to old-world traditions and little accommodation for modern-world tolerance.

But it did make for any interesting possibility.

Ranma had been gone for a year, but Akane was being indecisive about an abortion clinic.

Perhaps Ranma had been staying closer than he wanted people to know.

That was both good and bad.

It was good because Tarou could still see about getting the martial artist into his plan.

It was bad because it indicated that the fighter was getting as tricky as he was strong.

In any case, this was his best chance of finding the fem-boy and not having to completely scrap a plan.

He jumped down from his perch into the park and strutted his way through the tame trees toward where Akane was having her personal crisis. She saw him coming from pretty quickly.

"Tarou," she said, dropping into stance.

"Hey, Butch," Tarou said, snickering.

He didn't worry about the girl's fighting him. After all, he may not have been a serious martial artist, but, then again…neither was Akane.

Akane trained only to maintain her skills, not to advance them, much like he did, and she wasn't as skilled as he was.

Nor did she have a powerful second form to fall back on.

"What's a piece of trash like you doing here?" Akane demanded.

"Trash?" Tarou said, smirking as he looked across the street toward the clinic Akane had been watching. "Well, aren't you the pretty little black kettle?"

Akane winced as she took in the fact that Tarou had figured out what she was there for.

"What business is that of yours?" Akane demanded.

"Muck up your self-righteous delusions all you want," Tarou said. "I'm only interested in where the father is."

That brought Akane pause.

"The father?" she said, slipping momentarily out of stance before realizing who she was facing. "What do you want him for?"

"I have a proposition for him," the cursed-warrior said. "Direct me where to find him and then you can go back to bloodying your hands."

"I couldn't tell you if I wanted to," Akane said, grimly. "But he's probably up at his girlfriend's farm."

Tarou frowned and crossed his arms.

There was something not quite right here.

Across from him, Akane felt cautiously suspicious, wondering just what Tarou wanted with Ryouga.

"Another woman already, Butch?" Tarou asked. "Isn't that some sort of record?"

Akane twitched again and resisted the urge to attack Tarou. This wasn't someone she could afford to play her usual game with. Even she knew that.

"Where's this farm?" the rude man asked.

"You're not hurting anyone, are you?" Akane asked.

"I told you," Tarou said. "I have something to suggest, not making an attack."

"One condition," Akane said.

"What's that?" Tarou asked.

"You don't tell anybody about…" she gestured vaguely to her stomach. "This."

"Not even Daddy?" Tarou asked.

"Especially not Daddy," Akane said coldly.

"I can keep that promise," Tarou noted with a smirk.

"The farm's just out of town," Akane said, indicating a direction. "The Unryuu Pig Farm. Appropriate place for him, really."

"Thanks, Butch," Tarou said, starting to turn about. "I'll be sure to let Daddy know who sent me his way."

Akane winced and thought about asking Tarou not to, but it would be pointless, the young man was already leaping away. Besides, Ryouga couldn't think any less of her after the last thing she'd done to him.

She turned away from the clinic, looking over her shoulder uncertainly.

After that encounter she really couldn't go through with making a decision today.

As both Akane and Tarou left, another figure strode out, face grim and angry.

Gosunkugi stepped out of the shadow that he had been…observing Akane from and considered what he had learned today.

Akane was pregnant.

She'd given herself over to some man and was now considering ending the resulting condition early.

It couldn't have been Ranma, after all, Gosunkugi had been watching for the martial artist to return and Ranma never had. The young warlock had a firm confidence in his ability to make sure no one came and went that he didn't know about.

Which left the warlock in a quandary of just what to do about this situation.

One thing he certainly knew of course.

He knelt down and placed a small stone dog on the ground before quickly imbuing it with animation. A few whispers later and the dog was running off to pursue the scent of the leaving cursed-warrior.

Soon, he'd know where and who this mystery father was, and by then he'd know what to do about the…person.

As for now, he almost had the materials that he needed for the ritual, the beginning would soon be done with.

****

Cologne, Shampoo and Ukyou sat uncomfortably in the Tendo Dojo among a small collection of other restaurant owners. Kasumi Tendo was quietly serving drinks and refreshments as their host continued to speak to the group of them.

"There can be certainly no doubt," the shrill and enthusiastic voice was noting. "That having such vivacious girls as myself and my peers attending your restaurants as waitresses will bring you all much business, but I'm certain you can see that the purpose for such manual labor will bring more."

Kodachi Kuno stood in front of them with three other St. Hebereke seniors, all dressed in varying waitress uniforms and posing prettily. To the left was a poster with a blown up version of one of the buttons worn by the four girls that read: "Tip a waitress, plant a garden."

"And then we can take whatever proceeds we earn can go toward the purchase of some of these vacant lots and the supplies to make them into a local flower garden," the girl noted eagerly.

"She has a good plan," Ukyou heard a man say. "But really, flower gardens? What's that going to do?"

"What do you expect from a Kuno, something practical?" another asked.

"Really," Ukyou muttered to no one in particular. "This new virtuous phase of Kodachi's is getting a bit bizarre."

"It's no phase," Cologne noted from her seat before she cleared her throat and started speaking louder. "The plan has merit. Flower gardens of appropriate beauty will draw visitors to the ward. Visitors who will want to eat."

"What did you say?" Ukyou asked as Cologne's commentary was taken account of and discussed.

"I said," Cologne noted, turning toward Ukyou. "That Miss Kuno's new attitude is not merely a 'phase.' Clumsy as she is at expressing herself, she honestly does wish to help those around her."

"Is very annoying to talk to," Shampoo agreed morosely. "Shampoo wonder where she get this idea."

"That would be me," Ukyou said, sighing. "Last week, she came in and took the charity jar off my counter and stared at it for twenty minutes before finally ordering something."


End file.
